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Carbon monoxide levels at UW-Milwaukee dorm reached dangerous levels on night students were evacuated
Carbon monoxide levels in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee dorm where a gas leak sent 17 people to the hospital hit dangerously high levels, a police report obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shows.
The Milwaukee Fire Department registered readings in excess of 190 parts per million upon arriving at the Cambridge Commons dorm after arriving on scene at about 10:20 p.m. on Feb. 28.
At the boiler believed to be the source of the leak, We Energies reported to UWM police that carbon monoxide levels were in excess of 2,000 parts per million. The boiler was located in the north end of the basement of the building.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that results from the incomplete burning of various fuels and can cause significant health issues including death when inhaled in high concentrations for long periods of time.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, as carbon monoxide levels increase and remain above 70 parts per million, people will experience noticeable symptoms of poisoning, including headache, fatigue and nausea. These symptoms can sometimes be confused with the flu, but without the fever.
At sustained concentrations above 150 to 200 parts per million, "disorientation, unconsciousness and death are possible."
First responders moved to evacuate the dorm's 400 occupants after determining what was happening.
But that determination was far from immediate because, as the university confirmed to the Journal Sentinel earlier this month, the dorm did not have carbon monoxide detectors installed in its living areas at the time of the leak.
The alarms are not required by commercial building code because the building is heated by a piped hot water system, not a forced air furnace, university officials said.
In the week following the incident, detectors were installed in all of the university's dorms. UWM is also reviewing all other potential sources of carbon monoxide on campus and installing detectors regardless of legal requirements, spokeswoman Michelle Johnson said.
On the night of the gas leak, university officials learned of the issue from students who reported feeling initial symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Campus safety officials also received calls from two local hospitals — Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital and Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center — who had begun treating some patients. By then, police had already been called, according to the report.
Officers were sent to the dorm at 9:52 p.m. and the building was evacuated after the fire department arrived at 10:20, the report states.
Spokespeople for both hospitals declined to go into detail about what treatment the students received while in the hospital. UWM said all 17 students were released by the next day.
A spokesperson from Columbia St. Mary's said Friday that the 10 patients treated there all reported headaches, and most reported fatigue and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
"We remain very grateful to the students and parents who had the presence of mind to notify us once they knew they were ill due to carbon monoxide," Johnson said. "Those alerts allowed us to quickly evacuate the building and prevent more illness."
Students living in the dorm were given $100 in credits to their student accounts for the night they were evacuated, and 14 students who had to move rooms because of future boiler repairs were given $250 in credits.
Elizabeth Allen's daughter, freshman Mia Allen, is one of the students who was evacuated from and still lives in the dorm.
Though she wishes information could have been made available faster, Elizabeth Allen said she appreciated the university's transparency in explaining why carbon monoxide detectors were not installed. She also was reassured by the college's quick response, as she feared the situation could have been much worse.
"To actually hear the number 190 is very shocking and scary," Allen said.
UWM is not the only state university that did not have carbon monoxide detectors installed in dorms prior to this incident.
UW System spokesman Mark Pitsch said earlier this month that chancellors at each UW campus have been told to review their dorms and ensure that they "comply with all applicable codes and expand detector usage to improve student safety beyond state and local requirements."
On March 4, the city's Department of Neighborhood Services asked UWM to provide it with all required inspection logs related to life safety systems. As of Friday, the university had not provided them, Tanz Rome, the department's business operations manager, said. | 2022-03-19T14:55:00Z | www.jsonline.com | Carbon monoxide levels in UW-Milwaukee dorm hit dangerous levels | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/03/19/carbon-monoxide-levels-uw-milwaukee-dorm-hit-dangerous-levels/7094042001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/03/19/carbon-monoxide-levels-uw-milwaukee-dorm-hit-dangerous-levels/7094042001/ |
Elliot Hughes Steven Martinez
A Canadian Pacific cargo train derailed Saturday morning while traveling through Pewaukee.
The derailment happened about 6:37 a.m. near Somerset Lane and Parkside Road in the city of Pewaukee, according to a news release from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department. No injuries, power outages, private property or environmental damage has been reported, the release said.
As the train slowed to a stop, a boxcar derailed from the track, causing one tanker and seven additional boxcars to derail. Only one of the derailed boxcars was hauling freight; the other boxcars and the tanker were empty, the sheriff's department said.
April Hajdu, who lives across from a pond some of the cars spilled into, said she was awoken by the sounds of scraping, believing it at first to be a snowplow.
But the sounds of the derailment continued for a minute or longer.
“It was just so loud and it got to be more noisy,” she said. “Our bedroom window faces right toward the train tracks and as I sat up I thought I saw something fall and then you just heard the big boom and at the same time metal crushing and emergency breaks going and then as the train was trying to stop you heard all the cars banging into one another. It was quite loud.”
The derailment blocked portions of Parkside Road, restricting access to homes there, but otherwise did not affect traffic, the sheriff's deparsaid. The incident remains under investigation by Canadian Pacific. | 2022-03-19T17:09:41Z | www.jsonline.com | Canadian Pacific train derailed while traveling through Pewaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/19/canadian-pacific-train-derailed-while-traveling-through-pewaukee/7103406001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/19/canadian-pacific-train-derailed-while-traveling-through-pewaukee/7103406001/ |
Exclusive Company will close after 30 years on Milwaukee's east side. But a new record store could take its place.
The Exclusive Company announced Friday its east side Milwaukee location will close within months, but two employees are trying to keep the record store alive under a new name.
“We have loved every minute of serving the East Side community and thank you endlessly for the support you have given The Exclusive Company at this location over the past 30 years,” the company said in a Facebook post.
The company did not announce its final day of operation, only saying it will close “at a yet to be determined date in the next few months.”
The closure of the store, at 1669 N. Farwell Ave., comes about a month after the Wisconsin-based record store chain shuttered its Janesville location and four months after the founder of the chain, James Giombetti, died.
But two employees still hope to keep the building in the record store business. Tanner Musgrove, an assistant manager at the location, wrote on a GoFundMe page that negotiations are underway to purchase the building and reopen it as Lilliput Records.
Musgrove and another employee, who have been with Exclusive Company for 17 years, are hoping to raise $120,000 to make it happen. As of Saturday morning, the GoFundMe page raised more than $5,000.
“Our aim has always been to be a non-judgmental place to decompress and leave your worries at the door,” Musgrave wrote. “As Lilliput Records, our goal is the same.”
Giombetti opened the first Exclusive Company in 1956 in West Bend, according to the company’s website. The company operates other stores in Appleton, Green Bay, Greenfield and Oshkosh. | 2022-03-19T19:15:46Z | www.jsonline.com | Exclusive Company in Milwaukee will close, GoFundMe started to reopen | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/19/exclusive-company-milwaukee-close-gofundme-started-reopen/7104269001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/19/exclusive-company-milwaukee-close-gofundme-started-reopen/7104269001/ |
Wisconsinites Plitzuweit, Morehouse are at the center of upsets in the first round of the women's NCAA basketball tournament
Two Wisconsinites were at the center of upsets in the first round of the women's NCAA basketball tournament Friday when South Dakota and Florida Gulf Coast won opening-round games.
West Bend native Dawn Plitzuweit, once a standout at Kettle Moraine Lutheran with roots that run deep in Wisconsin basketball, was at the helm for South Dakota (28-5) when it earned the first NCAA tourney victory in program history.
The Coyotes, seeded 10th, upset third-seeded Ole Miss, 75-61. Plitzuweit's team will take on second-seeded Baylor at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Plitzuweit (then Zarling) was a standout at Kettle Moraine Lutheran, leading her team to an undefeated run and the 1990 WISAA Class B state championship as a senior.
She went on to a standout career at Michigan Tech, where she set school records for assists, steals and rebounds, on her way to back-to-back Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player of the year awards. She then joined her college coach, Kevin Borseth, on staff at Michigan Tech and at UW-Green Bay for four years and then later at Michigan as associate head coach.
Plitzuweit coached Grand Valley State to the NCAA Division II championship in 2006 during her five-year tenure as head coach. She was hired at South Dakota in 2016 and already has earned three Summit League coach of the year awards. She led the program to the NCAA Division I tournament in 2019, the first of four straight qualifications.
Her son, A.J., was named newcomer of the year in the Summit League last year at South Dakota and first team all-conference, though he missed this past season with a knee injury.
In just five seasons, she ranks second in program coaching wins, winning 82% of her games.
Florida Gulf Coast, seeded 12th, prevails
Florida Gulf Coast scored an upset with an 84-81 win over Virginia Tech, although the Eagles aren't just any 12th seed.
At the center of it was Milwaukee native Tishara Morehouse, who played 37 minutes and finished with 13 points, nine assists and three steals. The senior graduated from Milwaukee King and transferred to FGCU after two seasons at Western Nebraska Community College, and she was named first-team all-ASUN Conference after finishing as the second-leading scorer this year. It's her second first-team nod.
Despite the seed, FGCU (30-2) was ranked 23rd in the final Associated Press poll of the regular season.
Despite 42 points from 6-6 Virginia Tech center Elizabeth Kitley, the Osprey were able to hold off the Hokies, making their free throws down the stretch.
FGCU will face fourth-seeded Maryland on Sunday.
As a junior, Morehouse's King team took an undefeated record into the state tournament before losing to unbeaten Appleton North in the semifinals.
Other local ties
In games that went a little more according to script, Monona Grove's McKenna Warnock scored seven points as second-seeded Iowa pounded No. 15 seed Illinois State, 98-58. La Crosse Aquinas alumna Lexi Donarski played all 40 minutes and had 14 points for third-seeded Iowa State as the Cylcones beat 14th seed Texas-Arlington, 78-71. | 2022-03-19T19:15:52Z | www.jsonline.com | In March Madness, Wisconsinites key upsets in women's NCAA tournament | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/2022/03/19/march-madness-wisconsinites-key-upsets-womens-ncaa-tournament/7103748001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/2022/03/19/march-madness-wisconsinites-key-upsets-womens-ncaa-tournament/7103748001/ |
MADISON – Seth Trimble received the ultimate compliment from the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.
The senior guard from Menomonee Falls was named Mr. Basketball on Saturday. The WBCA gives the honor to the state’s top senior player.
The North Carolina recruit is the first Greater Metro Conference player to claim the honor since Wauwatosa East’s Devin Harris in 2001.
Trimble was honored during halftime of the Division 2 championship game.
“Seth is just a naturally amazing basketball player,” Falls coach Jason Hallenbeck said before the state tournament. “He’s an amazing person as well. Seth is someone for us, who literally affects the game at every single level.
“He’s so explosive offensively. He can score at three levels. A lot of people don’t talk much about this because they like to see the highlight-reel dunks and all the explosive plays, but I think he’s the best defensive player in the state.”
Trimble, a 6-foot-3 point guard, averaged 26.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season, all career bests. He also had a career-high 2.5 steals and 1.6 blocks.
More:Racine Case's frenetic comeback falls just short against Neenah in a WIAA boys basketball semifinal
More:Pewaukee avoids a scare from Ashwaubenon in WIAA Division 2 state basketball semifinal
More:La Crosse Central sinks Westosha Central with a late three-pointer in a WIAA Division 2 boys basketball semifinal
He led Falls to their its conference title in 12 years and then to its first WIAA state tournament appearance. He finished his career with 2,020 points and is the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
In the team’s playoff run to the state tournament, Trimble averaged 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and three assists while shooting 52.9%, 47% (8 for 17) from three-point range.
The honor is the second state player of the year award Trimble received in the week. Wednesday he was named the Gatorade state player of the year.
The team's season was the best in school history. Falls to Brookfield Central in the Division 1 semifinals Friday night.
“I’m super proud of these guys (and) the year that we’ve had,” he said after the loss. “It’s truly, truly amazing.” | 2022-03-19T19:15:58Z | www.jsonline.com | Menomonee Falls' Seth Trimble named Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/high-schools/2022/03/19/menomonee-falls-seth-trimble-named-mr-basketball-wisconsin/7097797001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/high-schools/2022/03/19/menomonee-falls-seth-trimble-named-mr-basketball-wisconsin/7097797001/ |
MINNEAPOLIS - The Milwaukee Bucks (44-26) conclude their four-game road trip Saturday afternoon against the Minnesota Timberwolves (41-30) at the Target Center.
They'll face the Timberwolves without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks' two-time NBA MVP was ruled out before the game with right knee soreness.
“We are kind of always kind of managing his knees and his health,” Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game. “I think he did get banged maybe in that game (Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings) and the one before, both, so I think it’s just part of the NBA season and schedule. We hope it’s short term. We’ll see how he responds the next day or two.”
It is the12th game Antetokounmpo has missed this season.
Follow our live coverage below. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
BUCKS' LAST GAME:Milwaukee's Big Three of Giannis, Middleton and Holiday lead the way late to beat Sacramento
MORE BUCKS COVERAGE:Brook Lopez isn't just back for the Milwaukee Bucks, he feels 'in better form' than before | 2022-03-19T21:13:27Z | www.jsonline.com | Giannis won't play for Bucks vs Timberwolves: game score, updates | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/19/milwaukee-bucks-vs-minnesota-timberwolves-target-center-minneapolis-game-score-updates-march-19-2022/7098532001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/19/milwaukee-bucks-vs-minnesota-timberwolves-target-center-minneapolis-game-score-updates-march-19-2022/7098532001/ |
The mother of a man who died last year while in the Racine County Jail has filed a federal lawsuit against the Racine County Sheriff's Department, the sheriff, the responding officers and the jail's medical staff.
Malcolm James died while in custody on June 1, 2021. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death as asphyxia due to a restraint technique used by officers, but other experts came to different conclusions.
Racine County District Attorney Tricia Hanson announced in January that no charges would be filed against the officers and jail employees involved in the incident, according to the Racine Journal Times.
James' mother, Sherry James, on Friday filed a federal lawsuit against the Racine County Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, the responding officers to the incident and the medical jail staff.
James, 27, was on suicide watch at the jail after being arrested for arson and recklessly endangering safety. He was restrained multiple times over the course of several days.
A previously released video of the incident showed James, his upper body wrapped in a blanket, hitting his head against the wall in his cell on June 1. Shortly thereafter, officers from the Correctional Emergency Response Team used pepper spray on him from outside the cell, then entered it and tased him, handcuffed him, and put a spit mask on his head.
The video showed that James was taken out of the cell and placed in an emergency restraint chair, then taken to the showering area to wash the pepper spray from his face.
After washing his face, officers and medical staff attempted to remove the taser prongs from his back. In doing so, they placed James in a “flex forward” position, pushing his head down.
A nurse paused the efforts because she determined the prongs are too deep under the skin. But shortly thereafter, officers resumed efforts, with three officers leaning on him to keep him bent forward, the video showed.
At one point, James' handcuffs came lose and there was a struggle to replace them.
Officers ultimately removed the prongs, and took their weight off him. By that point, James was unconscious and not breathing.
The nurse attempted to revive James using smelling salts. No one attempted CPR until paramedics arrived minutes later.
Jessica Lelinski, the Milwaukee County assistant medical examiner who performed the autopsy, said James died of asphyxia because his breathing was restricted by officers, according to the Racine Journal Times.
Nevertheless, Hanson decided not to charge any of the officers or the nurse, citing two experts who reviewed the incident.
Tom Neuman, a physician and national expert in respiratory physiology and asphyxia, determined a cardiac incident was the cause of death, citing significant heart disease, obesity, hypertensive cardiovascular disease and an enlarged heart.
Darrell Ross, a national expert in use of force in law enforcement also concluded "the actions of the officers did not cause nor contribute to the death of Mr. James."
In the federal lawsuit, James' mother, accused the officers, nurse and sheriff of gross incompetence and fault for her son's death. She is demanding a jury trial. | 2022-03-19T23:06:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Mother of man who died in Racine County Jail files a federal lawsuit | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/19/mother-man-who-died-racine-county-jail-files-federal-lawsuit/7104498001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/19/mother-man-who-died-racine-county-jail-files-federal-lawsuit/7104498001/ |
UW-Whitewater falls to Hope in Division III women's national championship game
The NCAA Division III women's basketball title remains elusive for UW-Whitewater.
The Warhawks fell to Hope College, 71-58, in the national championship game Saturday at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh.
It was the first Division III tournament in two seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Whitewater has made 20 trips to the NCAA Division III tournament and advanced to the Final Four four times since 2008. The Warhawks also made it to the championship game in 2013, falling to DePauw, 69-51.
Rebekah Schumacher led Whitewater (28-5) with 14 points.
The game was tied at halftime, but the Flying Dutch (32-1) from Holland, Michigan, pulled away by holding the Warhawks to 24 points in the second half. Kate Majerus scored six straight points early in the third quarter to give Hope the lead for good.
Ella McKinney led Hope with 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting. Sydney Muller added 18 points and Olivia Voskuil 11.
"I'm the happiest person in the world right now," Muller told CBS Sports Network after the game. "Words can't really describe it. This team is amazing. They're exactly the reason I came back to play basketball (for a fifth season of eligibility). This is for them and we're grateful for the opportunity."
The Flying Dutch also won national titles in 1990 and 2006. Hope was the runner-up in 2010. The Flying Dutch are 47-18 in NCAA Tournament games. This was head coach Brian Morehouse's second national title. Morehouse, whose daughter Meg is on Hope's roster, is 566-74 record in 21 seasons at his alma mater.
Johanna Taylor chipped in 12 points for Whitewater. Aleah Grundahl and Kacie Carollo, daughter of head coach Keri and assistant Joe, each added 11.
Taylor also contributed nine rebounds and five blocks. The 6-foot-2 center and former Wauwatosa East standout finished with 208 blocks over five seasons to leave as the Warhawks' program leader. She joined Grundahl on the all-WIAC team.
It was another successful campaign for Whitewater, which won its 10th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship. The Warhawks have won five WIAC titles in the last 10 seasons. Grundahl was the co-WIAC player of the year, scoring in double figures in 30 of her 33 games this season. | 2022-03-19T23:06:17Z | www.jsonline.com | UW-Whitewater falls to Hope in NCAA Division III women's title game | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/2022/03/19/uw-whitewater-falls-hope-ncaa-division-iii-womens-title-game-march-19-2022/7098359001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/2022/03/19/uw-whitewater-falls-hope-ncaa-division-iii-womens-title-game-march-19-2022/7098359001/ |
Ben Carlson was a touted recruit when he joined the Wisconsin men’s basketball program before last season.
The standout power forward from East Ridge High School in Minnesota chose UW over offers from Stanford, Purdue, Xavier, Creighton, Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State and other schools.
A back injury limited him to seven games during his freshman season and set his development back an unknown amount because of months of missed practice time.
Carlson has battled through an uneven sophomore season but flashed his potential in UW’s first-round NCAA Tournament victory over Colgate on Friday.
The 6-foot-9, 226-pounder entered the night averaging 1.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 9.1 minutes per game. He played double-digit minutes just twice in the previous 11 games.
UW coach Greg Gard played Carlson for 11 minutes against Colgate. His reward was seeing Carlson contribute four points and three offensive rebounds – all in the opening half when he played nine minutes.
"At a time when we couldn't throw it in the ocean, he came in and gave us a lift," UW assistant Joe Krabbenhoft said. "Being physical with three offensive rebounds was huge.
"Guys see somebody coming in off the bench. ... That lifted the energy and the overall spirits of everybody."
Carlson’s first basket, after Tyler Wahl grabbed an offensive rebound, cut Colgate’s early lead to 9-4. The Badgers were just 1 of 9 shooting at the time and needed points from anyone.
UW failed to score after Carlson’s first offensive rebound but Carlson rebounded a miss by Brad Davison and scored to pull UW within 26-25 late in the first half.
“He got us going a little bit offensively in the first half when we were too jump-shot happy by getting on the glass and finishing some plays there and keeping possessions alive," Gard said.
“I thought he did some really good things.”
Carlson isn't sure what his role will be Sunday when UW faces Iowa State for a berth in the Sweet 16. He does know his father Marc Carlson, who played two seasons (1992-94) at Iowa State, will be torn.
"He'll probably be cheering for both teams," Carlson said. "He'll probably do the split (T-shirt). I think people can make them."
Johnny Davis is the Badgers' ultimate closer
Sophomore Johnny Davis, the Big Ten player of the year who is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA draft, showed in the opening round how he can help UW close out a game.
Davis scored UW’s final 14 points against Colgate – in the final 5 minutes 59 seconds. He hit 4 of 5 field goal attempts and 5 of 5 free throw attempts to carry the Badgers into the second round.
That performance was nothing new for Davis.
He scored 18 of his 25 points after halftime in a 70-62 victory at Michigan State, scored nine of UW’s final 14 points on his way to 37 points in a 74-69 victory at Purdue and then scored UW’s final 13 points in a 74-69 victory at Indiana.
Earlier this season, freshman Chucky Hepburn playfully gave away UW’s late-game plan: Give the ball to Johnny and get the (expletive) out of the way.
“I'm speechless,” Hepburn said after Davis’ latest performance. “I ain't got no words to say. I just give him the ball, get out of the way.
“I said it before, I'm not going to say it again. Love playing with him. That's one of the best players I've ever played with and I love this last journey with him.”
Chucky Hepburn continues to impress
Hepburn was named to the Big Ten all-freshman team because of his impressive all-around play.
He gave another example against Colgate by contributing eight points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal with zero turnovers in 34 minutes.
Perhaps more important, he tightened his defense against Colgate senior Nelly Cummings in the second half.
Cummings hit 2 of 6 three-pointers and 6 of 14 shots overall in the first half when he scored 14 points. Cummings didn’t get free for a three-pointer after halftime. His second-half numbers: six points on 2-for-6 shooting, four assists and two turnovers. He scored on a contested drive and hit an uncontested layup to close the scoring.
This is my home, too
Iowa State freshman guard Tyrese Hunter, a graduate of Racine St. Catherine's High School, made it clear he will not be intimidated by the pro-UW crowd anticipated Sunday.
"I don't really feel like I am in enemy territory," he said. "This is basically my backyard right here. I don't really care if they've got thousands and thousands of people out there.
"That is motivation for me. I might shush the crowd a couple times."
A victory over Iowa State (21-12) would send UW to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. That veteran team was anchored by seniors Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koenig, Vitto Brown and Zak Showalter. Eighth-seeded UW upset No. 1 Villanova in the second round in Buffalo to reach the Sweet 16 before falling to No. 4 Florida, 84-83, in overtime. ...
UW enters play Sunday 13-3 away from the Kohl Center. That includes a 9-2 mark in road games and a 4-1 mark in neutral-site games. | 2022-03-19T23:06:23Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin got boost from Ben Carlson in March Madness win over Colgate | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/19/wisconsin-got-boost-ben-carlson-march-madness-win-over-colgate/7098412001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/19/wisconsin-got-boost-ben-carlson-march-madness-win-over-colgate/7098412001/ |
PHOENIX – How could surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in your pitching arm possibly be good news?
When it's not Tommy John surgery, which is what Milwaukee Brewers reliever Justin Topa feared when he was lifted from his fourth and final appearance last Sept. 3 at American Family Field.
Topa was the story of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season for the Brewers when he completed the journey back from his second Tommy John procedure to make his major-league debut.
"One hundred percent, because obviously a third Tommy John would have been worst case," he said Saturday. "Emotions were certainly high when that’s what we thought it was.
"But, thankfully, on the flip side it was just the flexor, they got in and repaired it and then pretty much started rehab right away and got it rolling."
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The right-hander got himself onto Milwaukee's radar by posting a 2.35 earned run average and WHIP of 0.91 with 12 strikeouts in 7⅔ innings over six appearances out of the bullpen that initial year.
The 99.9 mph sinker he threw in one of those outings also raised plenty of eyebrows.
So, Topa entered last spring solidly in the mix for a spot on the opening-day roster only to see that dream scuttled toward the end of camp when he initially strained his flexor.
Aggressive rehab, not surgery, was the route chosen and after missing the entire first half of the season Topa embarked on a series of minor-league assignments that culminated in his return to a big-league mound in early August.
He had three appearances under his belt – two of which saw him allow a combined seven runs – before his fateful appearance against the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Initially we thought it was a third one, to be honest, the way it was presenting itself there after that game," he recalled. "In the coming days after that we got a couple different opinions and found out it was just the flexor, thankfully."
Not long thereafter, Topa went under the knife to repair the issue, which never had truly healed correctly in the spring and summer.
"Scar tissue had formed in the area that prevented the healing, so we came to find out it never really healed that first chunk of the summer," he said. "So, when things came back it was just a progressive downward spiral.
"Ultimately, it led to surgery in September. Obviously, we tried to avoid it as much as possible."
One positive for Topa was the fact the recovery process was familiar.
"Kind of more on the accelerated side of things," he said. "Same type of strengthening, range-of-motion stuff. Essentially, they just went in there and repaired the flexor and anchored it back down, cleaned out some scar tissue.
"Checked on the UCL; the UCL was in good shape. No issues there."
Topa, who turned 31 on March 7, has recovered to the point he's throwing five days a week, should begin throwing bullpen sessions by the end of camp and is eyeing a mid-May rehab assignment.
No question, he sees the light at the end of the tunnel – again.
"Definitely, compared to last year," said Topa, who certainly will be in the mix for a job in the bullpen whenever he's deemed ready. "I feel like I’m in a good spot and am happy with where it’s at." | 2022-03-19T23:06:35Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers' Justin Topa sees hope after third elbow surgery | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/19/brewers-justin-topa-sees-hope-after-third-elbow-surgery/7105484001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/19/brewers-justin-topa-sees-hope-after-third-elbow-surgery/7105484001/ |
Playing at home is more of a blessing than a curse, but both are true. No one understands this more than Wisconsin coach Greg Gard.
Growing up on a farm in Cobb before spending his entire 31-year career coaching within Wisconsin’s borders, Gard is, this weekend, making his third NCAA men’s basketball tournament appearance in the second round in Milwaukee.
That alone is a remarkable run, but also means Gard asked his players to set some boundaries, because he knows March Madness at home means being surrounded by friends and family, requests and obligations. Even with the best of intentions, that drains energy and focus.
So two weeks ago, before selection Sunday, before the Big Ten tournament, Gard had an inkling everything would line up for the Badgers to play the opening weekend at Fiserv Forum.
More:How to watch Wisconsin vs. Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, TV channel and live stream
“We know your phones are going to blow up and people are going to want tickets and hotel rooms,” Gard told the team. “Let's take care of all that. Don't ignore it, but let's get it all done.”
He gave them a deadline on Wednesday and everyone complied.
“You can't micromanage their lives. You can't put them in a bubble,” said Gard. “At least you can forewarn them about the dangers.”
With his team more focused and relaxed, Gard could do the same. You think it’s easy to be the hometown guy coaching the hometown team? Ask Craig Counsell with the Milwaukee Brewers. There are unique demands and fewer buffers and safe spaces between the job and the people who support and surround the leader of the team.
It used to be really stressful.
When Gard was Bo Ryan’s assistant on the 2004 Wisconsin team that beat Richmond, the Badgers then lost to Pittsburgh in the second round in a loud Bradley Center. By then Wisconsin was already established as a program and expected to advance with home court advantage. The loss was tough on everyone.
Then Gard led Wisconsin to double wins in 2014, again at the Bradley Center, beating American and Oregon to advance to the Sweet 16. The Badgers felt the edge then even as they advanced all the way to the Final Four that year. Winning at home can be a boost and a relief.
“I think it bothers me much less at age 51 than it did when I was 45, or 40. Or when I was an assistant,” said Gard. “You felt that a little bit more. I think now I've learned to appreciate the whole process and the whole journey. The body of work.
“I mean, here, there really aren’t home upsets; that's just for TV marketing type of stuff.”
But that’s defined this 2022 NCAA Tournament already – the upsets, and the titans of college basketball losing to little Saint Peter’s. There’s no question the Big Ten co-champion Badgers are expected to ride the positive vibe of thousands of red-clad Badgers fans through Milwaukee, even when Gard cautions against it.
“I don't want to be dependent on the crowd,” said Gard. “None of the 18,000 in here can dribble or play any defense or rebound. We have to do that and then give the crowd hopefully something positive to get behind.”
Maybe the one good thing about being in his 50s is Gard doesn’t worry about the irrelevant stuff now. He doesn’t believe in upsets in this tournament so he doesn’t need to define the whole year by 40 or 80 or 120 minutes in the NCAA Tournament. That has allowed Gard to dive in to what matters:
Checking in with his wife Michelle on their daughter’s volleyball tournament in Lake Mills.
Watching film on Iowa State on his computer until his wife booted him to the living room area of the Milwaukee hotel room at 4 a.m. Saturday.
And 10 milligrams of melatonin because sleep is really hard to achieve with so much post-game adrenaline.
“I roll through the melatonin during the season like crazy. Probably too much, I shouldn’t tell my doctor,” said Gard. “Sometimes it doesn't work. I got the blue light glasses too, just to make sure my computer screen doesn't keep me awake extra long.”
The good stuff about playing at home? For one, Gard gets to be around family. He is grateful and appreciative.
“It's great for our fans. It's great for our alumni base. It's great for the state of Wisconsin, obviously for all our players' families that are able to get here that are close enough, former student-athletes. There's a lot of positives,” said Gard. “I've also talked to the team about all the distractions that come with it, and we've tried to manage those as we've gone through the week, because I've been with teams here that have had success, and I've been with teams here that didn't have success.
"I just want to make sure they focused on what's most important."
If Wisconsin advances on Sunday, the same thing could be said for next weekend. The regional games are just down I-94 in Chicago. | 2022-03-20T13:35:33Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin's Greg Gard handles coaching at home in NCAA Tournament | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/20/wisconsins-greg-gard-handles-coaching-home-ncaa-tournament/7103007001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/20/wisconsins-greg-gard-handles-coaching-home-ncaa-tournament/7103007001/ |
The sight had to give Marquette basketball fans flashbacks.
A ball-handling wizard named Lee with a No. 15 jersey leading a Jesuit university on a magical run in March.
Saint Peter's is the Cinderella of this season's NCAA Tournament and 6-foot junior point guard Matthew Lee is one of the Peacocks' key players. He's the son of MU legend Butch Lee, who led the then-Warriors to the 1977 NCAA championship.
The 65-year-old Butch was in Indianapolis to witness 15th-seeded Saint Peter's advance to the Sweet 16 by upsetting Kentucky and Murray State. It was like history repeating itself.
"It's very crazy," Butch said on Sunday. "I've been talking to my wife and my friends. My first NCAA Tournament game was against Kentucky. That was in 1975. We lost to Kentucky. So imagine Matthew, his first NCAA Tournament game was against Kentucky."
More: Eight questions with Marquette legend Butch Lee
Matthew grew up with Butch in Puerto Rico and learned the game from his father.
"They play a lot of basketball in Puerto Rico," Butch said. "We would always be on the court. Doing pick and roll and we really worked a lot on his shooting."
Matthew averages seven points per game and has handed out a team-high 83 assists. Butch said his son plays a little like a former MU teammate.
"He's a little different than me," Butch said. "My first two years at Marquette I played with Lloyd Walton. He later played with the Milwaukee Bucks and now he works in the NBA.
"But I told Lloyd, matter of fact this morning, that he plays very similar to Lloyd. He can score the ball but has strength and good defense. He's a floor general. I was more of a scorer than him."
Butch was born in Puerto Rico before growing up in New York and he moved back to the island after his professional playing career.
Matthew attended two high schools in the United States and was recruited to Saint Peter's by head coach Shaheen Holloway. Like Butch, who was a standout player at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, Holloway is a New York playground legend and his team embodies that swagger.
"I'm going to say this," Holloway said. "It's going to come off a little crazy. I got guys from New Jersey and New York City. You think we're scared of anything? You think we're worried about guys trying to muscle us and tough us out?"
The victory over Kentucky, one of the biggest upsets in tournament history considering the resources of the two programs, had extra meaning for Butch.
"We also know (Kentucky coach) John Calipari," Butch said. "He coached the national team in the Dominican Republic, so I saw him in Puerto Rico and I introduced him to Matthew and (15-year-old son) Brandon.
"And at the time he asked Matthew if he played basketball and Matthew said yes. And then he said 'Oh, but I'll probably be retired by the time you're in college."
Butch, who won the most outstanding player of the 1977 Final Four, just wants his son and his teammates to be in the moment.
"They are so happy right now that they are doing big things," Butch said. "But they do not have an idea of what they've just done."
Butch is certainly enjoying the ride.
"I talked with my brother, he called me on the phone," Butch said. "And I told him he probably can't see me because I'm still on cloud nine.
"It's something crazy. My wife, my young son was here with us also. We couldn't have written a script like his if we wanted to. Who would imagine something like this?"
More:Here is the schedule for the 2022 WIAA high school boys basketball state tournament and an overview of every team in the field | 2022-03-20T16:46:53Z | www.jsonline.com | St. Peter's Peacocks Matthew Lee is son of Marquette legend Butch Lee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/marquette/2022/03/20/st-peters-peacocks-matthew-lee-son-marquette-legend-butch-lee/7111919001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/marquette/2022/03/20/st-peters-peacocks-matthew-lee-son-marquette-legend-butch-lee/7111919001/ |
Kassidy Hill Jeff Potrykus
The Wisconsin Badgers (3) are set to tip-off against Iowa State (11) in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Ahead of the 5:10 pm (CST) tip-off, join Jeff Potrykus and Kassidy Hill for the keys of the game.
From Chucky Hepburn's matchup against Iowa State's Tyrese Hunter (a local Racine product) to another possible big night from guard Johnny Davis, the duo looks at the biggest factors to tonight's game. Watch the full video below.
Stay tuned to Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and JSonline for full coverage from the Wisconsin Badgers' NCAA Tournament run, including Sunday night's game in the Round of 32 versus Iowa State. | 2022-03-20T22:08:32Z | www.jsonline.com | WATCH: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Iowa State Keys to the Game | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/2022/03/20/watch-wisconsin-badgers-vs-iowa-state-keys-game-march-20-2022/7114242001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/2022/03/20/watch-wisconsin-badgers-vs-iowa-state-keys-game-march-20-2022/7114242001/ |
It has restaurants, bars and breweries that overlook the Milwaukee River, art along the way, and of course, the Bronze Fonz.
That's right, the Milwaukee RiverWalk. Locals know how special it is — and now the nation does too.
It's been nominated for best riverwalk by USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.
How do the awards work? Travel experts pick the top 20 nominees in contests covering food, lodging, destinations, travel gear, things to do and more. Then the public makes the final decision by voting online.
As of Sunday evening, Brew City's RiverWalk was in fourth place behind Detroit International RiverWalk, Cincinnati's Smale Riverfront Park and Louisville's Waterfront Park.
If you want to check out the RiverWalk yourself, it runs alongside the Milwaukee River, from about N. Humboldt Ave. to where it meets Lake Michigan in the Third Ward.
People can vote for their favorite riverwalk (cough cough, Milwaukee's) once per day until 11 a.m. CT April 11. Voters must be at least 18 years old, according to the contest rules. The top 10 riverwalks will be announced on April 22.
To cast your vote, visit 10best.com/awards/travel/best-riverwalk-2022/milwaukee-riverwalk-milwaukee. | 2022-03-21T00:27:31Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee RiverWalk nominated USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/20/milwaukee-riverwalk-nominated-usa-today-10-best-readers-choice-awards/7115349001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/20/milwaukee-riverwalk-nominated-usa-today-10-best-readers-choice-awards/7115349001/ |
It was set up to be a compelling matchup of freshman point guards in the NCAA second-round battle between Wisconsin and Iowa State on Sunday at Fiserv Forum.
The Badgers' Chucky Hepburn and the Cyclones' Tyrese Hunter, a former Racine St. Catherine's standout, had both helped their teams overachieve this season.
The guards were a fascinating contrast. The 6-foot-2 Hepburn is a strong, heady point guard with a burgeoning jump shot who came into the game averaging 8.2 points and 2.4 assists per game. The 6-0 Hunter is lightning quick and not afraid to attempt a behind-the-back pass in close quarters. He averages 11.2 points and 4.8 assists while fueling Iowa State's transition attack with his steals.
Unfortunately for the Badgers, the matchup didn't even last until halftime. After Hunter dropped in a layup to get the Cylcones within 22-19 with 4 minutes and 37 seconds remaining, Hepburn crumpled to the court in pain with a left ankle injury.
Hepburn writhed in pain on the court for several minutes and didn't put any weight on the ankle as he was carried into the back of the arena.
Iowa State's offense under the direction of Hunter had been uneven most of the first half. That layup was Hunter's only bucket of the opening 20 minutes. He missed his other six attempts while contributing three assists and two turnovers.
Hunter short-armed a couple close shots around the basket. The day before the game, he said he wouldn't be intimidated by the staunchly pro-Badgers crowd.
More:Live coverage: Wisconsin vs. Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum
“I don't really feel like I'm in enemy territory,” Hunter said. “This is my backyard right here. I don't really care if they've got thousands and thousands of people out there. That's motivation for me."
Hepburn missed all three of his shots and had two rebounds and two turnovers in his 14 minutes before the injury. But Hepburn's tough defense contributed to Hunter's slow start. Right before leaving the game, Hepburn stayed in front of the shifty Hunter and forced a pass in the waning seconds of the shot clock.
Jahcobi Neath replaced Hepburn in UW's lineup and guarded Hunter for the most of the remainder of the first half. The Cyclones finally found some rhythm on offense and took a 25-22 advantage. UW battled back to take the lead but, on an inbound pass, Hunter found Caleb Grill for a wide-open layup just before the halftime buzzer that put Iowa State ahead, 27-26, at the break.
Hepburn came out for the second half on crutches and sat on the bench with a walking boot on his left foot. Neath was in UW's starting lineup in the second half. With the Badgers' depth compromised, Isaac Lindsay, who hadn't played since Jan. 27, made an appearance early in the second half. | 2022-03-21T00:27:38Z | www.jsonline.com | Badgers' guard Chucky Hepburn injured in first half vs. Iowa State | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/20/badgers-guard-chucky-hepburn-injured-first-half-vs-iowa-state/7111771001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/20/badgers-guard-chucky-hepburn-injured-first-half-vs-iowa-state/7111771001/ |
A Mequon student has been named the 2022 Wisconsin Journalist of the Year by the Wisconsin Journalism Education Association.
Annie Brown, a senior at Homestead High School, received the honor, which comes with a $1,000 scholarship. As the state winner, the materials she submitted for the state competition will also be submitted to the national Journalist of the Year competition hosted by the Journalism Education Association. The national winner receives a $3,000 scholarship, and up to three runners-up will get scholarships of up to $1,000, a news release from the Wisconsin JEA said.
The national winner will be announced at the national Journalism Education Association Convention in Los Angeles, which is scheduled for April 7.
"I was very excited. It was very much a surprise. I wasn't thinking I was going to win, but I heard from my adviser, and I was very proud and very happy, and my staff is very happy for me, which I was very grateful for. And yes, it was mostly just shock and surprise, just happiness," Brown said.
The Wisconsin JEA also selected two other students as finalists, Ashlyn Jacobs from Neenah High School and Meghan Morgan from Pulaski High School.
For the contest, applicants had to submit an online portfolio of their journalism work in different categories, along with a resume, a current transcript, a personal essay and a recommendation from that student's journalism adviser, according to a news release.
More:Mequon residents can pay a fee for the city to install blue signs in designated public areas after officials approve new ordinance
Brown's journalism adviser and English teacher at Homestead is Rachel Rauch, who wrote Brown's letter of recommendation.
"Annie is a true leader. If something needs to be done, she is the first to step up. She will problem solve. She will lead the way. She will include everybody's ideas in her plan," Rauch said. "From the day she started as a journalist years ago, she was always looking first to be a good writer and learn all the different types of journalistic writing. That slowly leaked into photography, which leaked into design. She's a movie blogger for us weekly. She also started our first-ever podcast about movies.
"What I really admire about her is her ability to continue to push herself outside of her comfort zone and do whatever needs to be done for her team, which has made her a really well-rounded journalist, which definitely paid off for this honor."
On her online portfolio, Brown has samples of her reporting and writing work, which include stories on high school sports, a protest and movies. She also has posted photos she's taken of events such as school plays and football games, as well as examples of her design work, web and social media efforts, and a podcast.
In announcing Brown's honor, a JEA news release said: "An in-depth look at the treatment of female athletes off the field was particularly powerful and well-researched. In addition to this impactful writing, Annie’s photography and design exhibits an eye for detail and authentic emotion. She even spent the summer after her freshman year shadowing a photojournalist from the Orange County Register in California and is a creator and a leader who clearly knows how to tell a story in more than one way."
Passion for writing
Brown said that growing up, she was always into writing and was encouraged by her parents to explore. She also spent time watching "CBS Sunday Morning" with her family and watching TV shows hosted by the late celebrity chef, author and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain.
"I was just really in awe of journalists and what they did," Brown said.
Once she got into high school, she heard about the school's program, Highlander Productions, mostly for writing. She then started trying her hand at design and photography.
One of those writing efforts focused on creating a magazine about women in the school and community and how to better serve them. While it didn't go to production because the school year ended before they could finish, Brown said she and her staff were able to write stories about women in their school, including an opinion piece she wrote in May 2021 about female athletes in the school.
Brown said she wanted to write about the topic since she is also an athlete, playing two sports for her school. Her older sister also played tennis for the girls tennis team when she was a student.
"They won four state championships when she was at school, and they didn't get a lot of recognition from the school, so that was something I've thought about a lot in my four years and something I really wanted to talk about," Brown said.
Learning photography
She admits that photography scared her at first.
"Writing, you can do lots of research and you can get quotes and you can spend multiple days on an article. But if you miss the moment to capture the photo, you've missed that moment. So that was something that I was like 'oh I don't think I have the vision to be able to capture every important moment in a sport or activity,'" she explained.
As she moved up in the editorial staff, Brown said she realized she couldn't refuse photo assignments.
"I just decided that to support my staff, it was something important that I had to learn to do. So I spent an entire weekend learning camera techniques and how to find great photos and good lighting and change lighting on the fly, change lenses, all that technical stuff," Brown said.
She then signed up to take girls hockey and spring play pictures; the spring play pictures turned out to be some of her favorites.
"I realized that if I put some work at the front of what I was doing, I would be able to capture photos," Brown said. "It's ended up being something students are really interested in seeing because people love to see photos of themselves. So I've really enjoyed that part of it, sharing my photos as well as my writing."
With the help of a fellow staffer, Brown also created a Photo of the Week post on Highlander Publication's social media pages.
Brown even took time during a family trip to California, where her mother is from, after her freshman year of high school to shadow photojournalist Mindy Schauer of the Orange County Register newspaper.
"I just emailed her, and she was perfectly happy to have me follow her around for a day. We went to a press conference for new wildfire-fighting helicopters. She just showed me how to be assertive and be a good photographer in a setting where there's lots of press and there's a lot of stuff going on, and that was really enlightening," Brown said.
Design, leadership
Design is a big part of the yearbook team, and Brown and her staff use programs such as InDesign to put the yearbook together.
Like other aspects of journalism, design has come with a learning curve.
"It's really given me a better eye for a sports season or whatever because it's the interaction of photos and writing that makes a really great yearbook. So it's been such a great privilege to do that for our school," she said.
Serving as co-editor-in-chief of Highlander Publications has also meant learning about leadership, and working with the various skills and talents of other staff members.
"It's been really interesting and illuminating for me to see how everybody can flourish in one particular area of our staff," she said. "That's shown me where I can find my talents on the staff and be a leader in that way and set a good example for my staffers."
Other activities, future plans
Brown is also the co-president of Student Council, co-founder and vice president of the Homestead Film Club, and Homestead president and global youth ambassador of She's the First, a club that aims to reduce gender inequality through education in underdeveloped countries. Outside school, she is a teen ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House of Eastern Wisconsin, according to a post on the Mequon-Thiensville School District's website.
Brown is undecided on her post high school plans but said she could see herself as a professor of English or journalism, and doing global health journalism or war correspondence.
"Just getting to travel and work on my language skills as well," Brown said. | 2022-03-21T20:14:08Z | www.jsonline.com | Mequon student wins Wisconsin journalist of the year award | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/mequon/2022/03/21/mequon-student-wins-wisconsin-journalist-year-award/7035734001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/mequon/2022/03/21/mequon-student-wins-wisconsin-journalist-year-award/7035734001/ |
'The entire experience was incredible:' Greendale High School band steps in to play for Yale against Purdue
The Greendale High School band marched into Fiserv Forum on Friday after Yale University asked the group to step in for its band during the game against Purdue.
"The entire experience was incredible," said Tom Reifenberg, the high school's band director. "For the vast majority of students, this was their first NCAA tournament game, let alone their first time sitting courtside."
Greendale band members took over for Yale's band during the game against Purdue during the NCAA Tournament. Many of the Yale marching band members couldn't make it to the game because they were traveling during their spring break.
On Monday, Yale asked Greendale to fill in. The band had until Tuesday to submit the list of student names who would perform at the game to the NCAA.
The band pulled together a rehearsal Thursday afternoon and learned the Yale fight song, "Bulldog." By Friday, Yale provided the band with its gear, and at 12:30 p.m. Greendale band members were sitting courtside while Yale and Purdue warmed up.
"That meant that we had less than 24 hours to determine if we could make it happen. Needless to say, many students jumped at the opportunity," Reifenberg said.
Band members performed pep music and also chanted and cheered for Yale throughout the game. After the game, Yale head coach James Jones came over to express his appreciation, and he even shared a video of his father dancing in the stands while the band played the fight song.
Even the Purdue band director, Matt Conaway, stopped by to compliment the Greendale band during halftime, Reifenberg said.
Despite their best efforts, Purdue won the game, 78-56.
"Although Yale came up short, it was an awesome experience to be a Bulldog for a day. It'll be an experience the students won't forget for a long time," Reifenberg said.
This isn't the first time the Greendale band has stepped in for an NCAA program, Reifenberg said. In 2017, Marquette University hosted the women's Big East tournament at the Al McGuire Center and Greendale served as the Seton Hall pep band for two games.
RELATED:Greendale High School band director named Educator of the Year by chamber of commerce | 2022-03-21T20:14:09Z | www.jsonline.com | Greendale High School band steps in to play for Yale against Purdue | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/2022/03/21/greendale-high-school-band-steps-play-yale-against-purdue-ncaa-tournament/7119950001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/2022/03/21/greendale-high-school-band-steps-play-yale-against-purdue-ncaa-tournament/7119950001/ |
Sprecher Brewing Co., metro Milwaukee's longest-running craft brewery, releases new line of lemonades
Sprecher Brewing Co., metro Milwaukee's longest-running craft brewery, is already known for its craft beers and sodas. Now, it has entered the lemonade game.
On Sunday, the Glendale-based company took to social media to introduce a new line of craft lemonades.
The line offers both still and sparkling versions of original lemonade, raspberry lemonade, strawberry lemonade and blueberry lemonade, per Sprecher's website.
The lemonades — which are handcrafted in small batches at the brewery — are "naturally flavored with real lemon juice" and have pure cane sugar, the website said. They don't have artificial colors or sweeteners.
Sprecher — the second fastest growing craft soda company in America — has been working to become a national player in the non-alcoholic craft beverage industry, according to a November 2021 Journal Sentinel report. Craft soda accounted for around 90% of Sprecher's sales at that time.
A 12-pack of the lemonade costs $24.40 online at sprecherbrewery.com/product-category/lemonade/. | 2022-03-21T20:14:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Sprecher Brewery in Glendale releases new line of lemonades | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/food/drinks/2022/03/21/milwaukee-sprecher-brewery-glendale-releases-new-line-lemonades/7119166001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/food/drinks/2022/03/21/milwaukee-sprecher-brewery-glendale-releases-new-line-lemonades/7119166001/ |
A large light industrial building is planned for a long-vacant site in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley
A large light industrial building is planned for a long-vacant site in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley.
The 179,500-square-foot building is to be developed at 841 W. Canal St., east of I-94, according to a zoning change application filed with the Department of City Development,
That application was filed by Westminster Realty Partners V LP, a commercial real estate investors group based in Lake Forest, Illinois, and Brookfield-based design/build firm Briohn Building Corp.
Representatives from Westminster and Briohn weren't immediately available Monday for comment on their plans.
The application for the zoning change, which needs Common Council approval, said the proposed building is speculative — meaning it would be built before securing a tenant, or tenants.
That's an indication that Westminster Realty, an affiliate of Westminster Capital LLC, believes in the ongoing strength of demand for new industrial space in the Milwaukee area.
The 5-acre site is now owned by We Energies, according to city assessment records.
The company in 2015 bought 9.4 acres, with addresses of 841 W. Canal St. and 131 S. 7th St., from former Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp. owner John Stollenwerk for $1.35 million, according to state real estate records.
We Energies bought the property to expand the perimeter around its neighboring Valley Power Plant.
The Canal Street site was proposed around 2000 as a shoe factory for Allen Edmonds, but those plans didn't proceed.
In 2013, Lakefront Brewery Inc. said it was considering the development of a second brewery on the site. But Lakefront dropped those plans, and instead bought land next to its brewery, at 1872 N. Commerce St., for an expansion.
The Canal Street site is about two blocks west of the Harley-Davidson Museum.
It's listed as a key project site in the city's updated Menomonee Valley redevelopment plan. | 2022-03-21T20:14:24Z | www.jsonline.com | Industrial building planned in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/03/21/industrial-building-planned-milwaukees-menomonee-valley/9453081002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/03/21/industrial-building-planned-milwaukees-menomonee-valley/9453081002/ |
Body found floating in Menomonee River on Milwaukee's west side Monday
The body of an unidentified male was found floating in the Menomonee River on Milwaukee’s west side Monday.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed it was called to the 2100 block of West Mount Vernon Avenue on Monday morning, near to where the body was found.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. No other information was immediately available. | 2022-03-21T20:14:28Z | www.jsonline.com | Body found floating in the Menomonee River on Milwaukee's west side | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/21/body-found-floating-menomonee-river-milwaukees-west-side/9456078002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/21/body-found-floating-menomonee-river-milwaukees-west-side/9456078002/ |
MADISON – Wisconsin freshman forward Matthew Mors, one of two frontcourt players who redshirted this season, has decided to transfer.
Mors informed the UW staff Monday.
According to head coach Greg Gard, Mors has been homesick and wants to be closer to his family in South Dakota.
“He just wants to go home.” Gard said. “That is the root of it. How do you dispute that? I can’t.
“We talk about family and all that kind of stuff. I’m not going to say that that’s not important.
“We talked about the long game of being here and what this does for you educationally and culturally. But the family component has weighed on him.
"He is a great kid."
The impending departure of Mors will open a scholarship and the Badgers are expected to be active in pursing transfers.
Two names to watch are guards who faced UW this season, Nelly Cummings of Colgate and Antonio Reeves of Illinois State.
Both players have entered the transfer portal.
Cummings had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in Colgate’s 67-60 loss to UW in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Reeves had 25 points, four rebounds and four assists in Illinois State’s 89-85 loss on Dec. 29 at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers added two transfers last season – center Chris Vogt and guard Jahcobi Neath – and the staff was pleased with both.
“The game has changed so much,” Gard said of using the portal to fill voids on a roster.
Vogt played in all 33 games and averaged 2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game helped ease the burden of sophomore Steven Crowl.
“We don’t win the Big Ten without him,” Gard said.
Neath missed time because of illness and battled a left knee injury all season. He averaged 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. His role could change if he is fully healthy next season because he has the ability to score near the basket and defend multiple positions. | 2022-03-22T13:15:41Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin basketball freshman Matthew Mors enters transfer portal | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/22/wisconsin-basketball-freshman-matthew-mors-enters-transfer-portal/7123326001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/22/wisconsin-basketball-freshman-matthew-mors-enters-transfer-portal/7123326001/ |
A Menomonee Falls business owner is making and selling soap to benefit Ukraine
When Layla Obregon saw the news about Russia invading Ukraine, she immediately wanted to do something to help.
She lived in Germany when she was younger, when her parents were in the military. Through those experiences seeing the world and meeting people from other countries, she learned the importance of helping others and connecting with people everywhere.
"We did not live in (Ukraine), but it hit close to home. When you see the news, you can wallow and think how sad. But I thought, 'I have to do something,'" she explained.
Her store, Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls, is a handmade bath and body shop featuring bath bombs, soap, candles and other gifts for self-pampering.
Since she already was making soap in her store, it seemed fitting to sell homemade soap in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Soap sells for $8 per bar; of that, she donates $5 to World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that serves meals to displaced Ukrainian people.
"It is a great organization, and people should not have to worry about food," she said.
Finding ways to use her homemade products to help others and fill a need in the community is not a new concept to Obregon.
During the pandemic, when word got out that her shop was selling hand sanitizer, she shipped sanitizer to nearly every state. Her product stands out because she offers a variety of unique scents and can even make custom scents by request.
"It (sanitizer) is a way of life now," she said. "We will keep it. If we have to use it, let's make it smell good."
Celebrating four years
When Obregon moved from Seattle to Menomonee Falls, she took a risk, turning something she did as a hobby into a business.
Initially, she interviewed for technology roles, as she had worked full-time in the field in Seattle. But then she had second thoughts. "I just thought, I just don't want to do this," she said.
Obregon had started making her own products at craft shows more than 10 years ago, where they were a hit. After she moved to the Falls, her new husband, Ruben, noticed a storefront in downtown Menomonee Falls that would be perfect to start her business. She signed a lease in November 2017.
"That was the most impulsive thing I did, but I would not change it," she said.
Poppy & Thyme opened March 1, 2018.
When she first opened, her goal was to help the community. She joined the BID board, and now, she is chair of the second annual Lavender Fest.
She is also always thinking about ways to expand her business. For instance, she wants to market wholesale products to organizations and companies for soap, lip balm or other homemade products. The products could be customized with a company's logo and contact information for companies to give away as promotional materials.
"If you want to start your own business, just make sure you love it with all of your heart," she advised.
For more information on Poppy & Thyme, visit poppyandthyme.com. | 2022-03-22T16:18:02Z | www.jsonline.com | Menomonee Falls business is making and selling soap to benefit Ukraine | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/germantown/2022/03/22/menomonee-falls-after-selling-unique-scents-bottled-sanitizer-pandemic-poppy-thyme-selling-soap/7075920001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/germantown/2022/03/22/menomonee-falls-after-selling-unique-scents-bottled-sanitizer-pandemic-poppy-thyme-selling-soap/7075920001/ |
Milwaukee County officials have launched an online dashboard to track overdoses in an effort to address the rapid increase in drug overdose deaths being seen across the county in recent years.
The dashboard will be used by county officials, community leaders, researchers and area health systems in an effort to tackle the increase.
In 2019, Milwaukee County drug overdose deaths were reported to be 418. In 2021, that number rose to 643 deaths, a nearly 54% increase in just two years.
"The trends are staggering, the trends are depressing and upsetting, but I think we have a tool we can use, and many different organizations throughout the county can use, to try and address this," said Dr. Ben Weston, Milwaukee County’s chief health policy adviser.
The dashboard includes information about where and when overdoses are occurring, as well as demographic information about the individuals.
"By looking at this dashboard, it can tell us this is the part of our community that is most in need, these are the members of our community that are most in need, so it can inform those sort of interventions," Weston said.
Weston said the main goal of the dashboard is to prevent overdoses and overdose deaths from occurring, as the data will be used to inform stakeholders about where to focus community resources or prevention initiatives.
It also helps to have the data in one spot, Weston added.
“The overdose dashboard is intended to build a public understanding of the overdose trends in Milwaukee County, which is critical in determining where additional prevention efforts are needed and gauging the impact of prevention initiatives within the county,” said Dr. Constance Kostelac of the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Drug overdose deaths in Milwaukee County have been trending upward for years, from 384 in 2018, to 418 in 2019, to 545 in 2020 and 643 in 2021.
When the Milwaukee Medical Examiner's Office started to track the numbers in 2002, drug overdose deaths numbered 109.
“The first step in addressing any problem is acknowledging it exists," Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in a news release. "We’re taking that step forward with the new Overdose Dashboard which will serve as a resource for experts, and the public, to understand trends and contrasts between demographic groups and geographic locations across overdose events."
A 2020 state report pointed to the crippling stress and isolation suffered by many during the coronavirus pandemic as possible reasons behind the large increase in drug overdoses and deaths since the start of the pandemic in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services report found a 47% increase in suspected opioid overdoses during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to ambulance run data.
The increase has led many area health departments to increase training for Narcan, which is often seen as the most-effective way to reverse an opioid overdose.
Related:Two UWM students died in their dorm rooms because of fentanyl. Now, their mothers are turning agony into action.
Related:Narcan can help save a life during an opioid overdose. Area health departments and community centers are teaching more people how to use it
Fentanyl, either alone or in combination with other drugs, was the biggest killer in Milwaukee County in 2021, as 508 deaths have been linked to that drug, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office. That accounts for nearly 80% of all drug overdose deaths in 2021.
Last week, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services announced plans to distribute 1,600 newly legal fentanyl testing strips in the community.
Fentanyl test strips can identify the presence of fentanyl in unregulated drugs and can be used to test injectable drugs, powders and pills, according to the National Harm Reduction Coalition.
Being aware if fentanyl is present allows people to use drugs safer or not at all, to reduce the risk of an overdose. | 2022-03-22T18:59:17Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee County drug overdose dashboard tracks location, demographics | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/03/22/milwaukee-county-drug-overdose-dashboard-track-time-location-demographic-information/7073430001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/03/22/milwaukee-county-drug-overdose-dashboard-track-time-location-demographic-information/7073430001/ |
The Milwaukee Bucks like it and are going to put a ring on it.
That “it” is the first 10,000 fans who arrive for Thursday’s game against the Washington Wizards at Fiserv Forum — they will receive a replica ring from the Bucks championship season.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and fans are limited to one ring per person.
Bucks: A golden night: The Milwaukee Bucks ring in new season with championship ceremony for the ages
“The fans are such an integral part of our success and what we were able to do over the whole playoffs run,” said Mallory Steinberg, senior marketing manager for the Bucks. “We just think it’s right that they have an opportunity to take a ring home, wear it, represent their pride for the team.”
The Bucks recommend that fans arrive early Thursday for the best chance to receive a ring.
The rings are almost the exact physical size and weight of the real championship ring handed out to players, executives and others in the organization. Unlike the jewel-studded real rings, the top doesn’t come off, there are no customized names or numbers, and there is no inscription on the inside of the ring.
The replica does have the phrases “Bucks in 6” and “Fear the Deer,” on the sides, along with the outline of the state of Wisconsin and the final score of Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
It also comes in its own special ring box.
“We really did try to capture the style and essence of the ring that the team, the players took home,” Steinberg said. “There’s some obvious differences, but it still has the championship flair.”
The ring is the latest giveaway celebrating the Bucks' first championship in 50 years. Previous promotions have included a commemorative championship banner and part of the championship floor.
Fans who can't go to the game on Thursday will have the opportunity to buy the rings for about $20 at the next home game on April 1 against the Los Angeles Clippers. | 2022-03-22T18:59:35Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Bucks giving away replica championship rings at Fiserv Forum | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/22/milwaukee-bucks-fans-show-off-new-piece-flair-replica-championship-ring-fiserv-forum-giveaway/7125689001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/22/milwaukee-bucks-fans-show-off-new-piece-flair-replica-championship-ring-fiserv-forum-giveaway/7125689001/ |
The Marquette women's basketball team doesn't want the season to end.
The Golden Eagles are the last college hoops team in the state still playing. The Wisconsin and MU men's teams didn't make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The UW-Whitewater women fell in the NCAA Division III title game on Saturday.
So while the Women's National Invitation Tournament isn't the March Madness dream that the Golden Eagles hoped for this season, they're still embracing the chance to play more games with each other.
MU knocked off Purdue, 77-62, on Monday night at the Al McGuire Center to advance to the Sweet 16 of the WNIT.
The Golden Eagles (23-10) will get another home game Thursday against Toledo (28-5).
"Couldn't be more thrilled for our seniors to continue one more day," MU coach Megan Duffy said. "We're kind of going (with) just a day-by-day mentality of trying to get better."
Lauren Van Kleunen played against Purdue like she wasn't ready to take off the MU uniform for good after six years and five seasons, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
"She's had such a great mindset after we didn't get into the NCAA Tournament," Duffy said. "Just kind of felt all the feelings with that. But I think immediately switched to 'Let's see if we can win this thing' and 'Let's do it one day at a time and one game at a time.' I think she really just has an appreciation for playing in this building. And playing in front of her fans and playing in front of her family."
Van Kleunen had 15 points in the first quarter.
"This is an opportunity that not a lot of people have," she said. "We're just taking it day by day and trying to value it as much as possible. To have a chance to play on your home floor again in front of Marquette fans, there's nothing like it. We use that to fuel those runs. We use that to get defensive stops and just their energy is huge for us."
It was a special victory for MU graduate transfer Karissa McLaughlin, who played four seasons for the Boilermakers.
"A lot of emotions," McLaughlin said. "I have a lot of respect for my alma mater obviously. It was fun to be out there playing against them. Competitive. But I wouldn't trade it for the world to be here where I am right now."
McLaughlin scored 16 points and Purdue's career three-point leader held her follow-through a little longer than normal after nailing a triple against her old team with 57 seconds remaining.
"We're definitely lucky that we have her and I told her that," Van Kleunen said. "I said we're glad to have you on our side. To be able to have her and play with her every day is fun to do. As we get down the stretch here it's going to be tough."
Van Kleunen then got a little emotional thinking about when the season eventually ends.
"Just playing with her every day and our leadership together has been great to see growth from the entire year," she said. | 2022-03-22T18:59:41Z | www.jsonline.com | Marquette women's basketball team advances to third round of WNIT | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/marquette/2022/03/22/marquette-womens-basketball-team-advances-third-round-wnit/7125470001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/marquette/2022/03/22/marquette-womens-basketball-team-advances-third-round-wnit/7125470001/ |
New 29-home development for families coming to Delafield
CITY OF DELAFIELD - The Common Council approved a preliminary plat for a single-family development.
The 35-acre plot is west of Highway 83 on both sides of Nagawicka Road East. According to developer Jon Spheeris, the plan is to take the current farmland and convert it into 29 single-family homes, each a half-acre, with water and sewer; 40% of the land would remain green space.
In addition to the homes, the development would also include three ponds with fountains. Plans call for retaining the orchard and protected tree that currently reside there. Some homes will have views on the hill overlooking Lake Nagawicka.
"It's going to be high-end homes," Spheeris said. "It's going to be beautiful."
Spheeris hopes to get final approval in the coming months. If all goes to plan, he wants to break ground the first week of June.
More:A long-awaited project from Hendricks Commercial Properties will soon break ground in the city of Delafield | 2022-03-22T21:30:58Z | www.jsonline.com | Single-family homes, new ponds coming to Delafield on Nagawicka Road | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/22/single-family-homes-new-ponds-coming-delafield-nagawicka-road/7128811001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/22/single-family-homes-new-ponds-coming-delafield-nagawicka-road/7128811001/ |
Alds. Michael Murphy and José Pérez, two sponsors of the legislation, were frustrated at the timing of the opinion and suggested the city attorney’s office was pushing its own policy agenda.
“Unfortunately, I believe what the city attorney’s office is doing is trying to have an influence on policy, which is technically our decision,” Pérez said. “As representatives of our district working with our communities, we make these decisions, not them.”
Murphy and Pérez both said that was easy enough to fix and expressed confidence the legislation, which was first proposed by Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, would eventually pass. But both suggested the City Attorney’s Office was stepping out of line.
A staff member in Murphy's office later told the Journal Sentinel that Murphy did not receive such an invitation.
On March 10, it took the council’s Public Safety and Health Committee less than 20 minutes to unanimously recommend to the full council that Spencer be confirmed. The committee includes Alds. Mark Borkowski, Scott Spiker, Khalif Rainey, Pérez and Dimitrijevic. | 2022-03-22T21:31:10Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee aldermen, city attorney spar over reckless driving ordinance | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/22/milwaukee-aldermen-city-attorney-spar-over-reckless-driving-ordinance/9454152002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/22/milwaukee-aldermen-city-attorney-spar-over-reckless-driving-ordinance/9454152002/ |
Milwaukee mayoral candidate and former Ald. Bob Donovan said Tuesday that he would favor getting rid of the city's ballot drop boxes if he were to win the April 5 election.
"I want to make voting as accessible as possible and cheating out of the question," he said during a meeting of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. "And I think sometimes whenever you're dealing with mailing in ballots, when you're dealing with much more drop boxes — issues like that that were designed for an emergency situation during COVID, that now seems to be the norm — I don't know that that's the best way to go."
The drop boxes have been at the center of court rulings. The Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is hearing an appeal of a circuit court ruling that said drop boxes aren't permitted in state law, in January permitted them for the Feb. 15 primary but said they are not allowed for the April election.
The rulings came after two suburban Milwaukee men, with the help of the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, sued last year to block the use of the drop boxes.
A final decision is still pending, but the most recent ruling could mark the beginning of the end for the voting method that became popular in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic was raging.
Court rulings aside, Donovan said, "I'd get rid of them."
In response to the court rulings, the Milwaukee Election Commission has closed its 24-hour unstaffed drop boxes for the April election but is offering drive-up, curbside ballot drop-off at early voting locations on March 26 and April 2.
Milwaukee installed 15 secure drop boxes at libraries and other locations in 2020 using grant funding from the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life. The boxes are under 24-hour video surveillance and have seals to ensure they haven't been opened in an unauthorized manner.
Donovan's opponent, Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson, slammed Donovan's comments in a statement Tuesday.
"It’s sad to see my former colleague fall into the abyss of conspiracy theories," Johnson said. "Dropboxes are a secure and convenient way for people to cast their ballots. We need to increase access to the polls, and make it easier for citizens to vote, not harder."
He also accused Donovan of "amplifying the unfounded lies about our elections" from people such as former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who is leading an investigation into the 2020 presidential election for Republicans in the state Assembly.
On Tuesday, Donovan followed up on his previous comment that if there had not been legitimate concerns raised about the 2020 presidential election, there would be no inquiry into the election by Gableman.
On Tuesday, he said that concerns seem to be raised every election.
"Do we or do we not have an obligation to ensure that our elections are squeaky clean, and that there's no possibility of making some accusation, and if an accusation comes in it's so bizarre it's just dismissed?" he said. "That's what I feel our voters deserve."
Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin in 2022. Recounts and court rulings have confirmed his victory. A nonpartisan legislative audit and a study by a conservative group found no evidence of appreciable fraud. | 2022-03-22T21:31:16Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee mayoral candidate Bob Donovan would remove ballot drop boxes | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/22/milwaukee-mayoral-candidate-bob-donovan-would-remove-ballot-drop-boxes/7130854001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/22/milwaukee-mayoral-candidate-bob-donovan-would-remove-ballot-drop-boxes/7130854001/ |
Nobody ever said staging the 2024 Republican National Convention in a Democratic city would be easy.
On Tuesday, Milwaukee's bid committee gave a bipartisan pitch in Washington, D.C., to try to get the convention, even as a now-deleted tweet from the city's top election administrator showed how much tension there could be if Republicans come here.
Claire Woodall-Vogg, Milwaukee Election Commission executive director, tweeted Friday: "Should MKE host the RNC, you will find me working remotely out of state that week, lest I be hung in the town square like some have threatened."
WISN-TV reported on the tweet and Woodall-Vogg deleted her Twitter account.
"That was an ill attempt at some dark humor given that I get death threats that are fueled by the 2020 presidential election," she told the Journal Sentinel.
Woodall-Vogg has been bombarded by threats in the wake of an election where Republicans raised doubts about results in Milwaukee and elsewhere. Recounts and courts have found the election was held properly.
Woodall-Vogg said: "I would love for the RNC to come here."
Jeff Fleming, spokesman for Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson, acknowledged the challenges Woodall-Vogg has faced but said the administration was not amused by the tweet.
"The Executive Director of the Election Commission has faced threats and accusations that are completely unwarranted," Fleming said. "Nevertheless, a flippant social media post about skipping town was not in order."
Milwaukee and Nashville are the two finalists to get the convention and delegations from the cities made their pitches Tuesday to the Republican National Committee's site selection panel.
They met at RNC headquarters. Nashville went first.
During its presentation that lasted around 1 hour, 40 minutes, the Milwaukee group rolled out Bloody Marys.
The delegation was bolstered in person by two top Democrats, Milwaukee Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, along with Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who appeared via Zoom. Priebus is also a previous chairman of the Republican National Committee.
"As a former Democratic state legislator I never thought I’d make a pitch inside the Republican National Committee," Crowley said. "But it was a good experience."
Crowley and others stressed that Milwaukee can provide a "turnkey" convention since plans were drawn up in 2020 to host the Democrats. Of course, that convention was scaled back and turned into a mostly virtual event because of the pandemic.
"We’re making the case on why Milwaukee is a great place," Crowley said. "We have so much to offer. I do think they are very receptive to what we have going on."
Peggy Williams-Smith, VISIT Milwaukee president and chief executive who helped spearhead the local effort, said the Republican site selection panel dug into the issues of hotels and security.
Milwaukee boasts 19,000 hotels within a 30-minute radius of the main convention venues, Fiserv Forum and the Wisconsin Center.
"They must have asked us a few times, would we get a 90 percent commitment from all the hotels" to be made available for the convention, Williams-Smith said.
Milwaukee organizers have been eager to tell Republicans they'll be the only game in town during the convention, expected to be held in either July or August of 2024.
On security, a compact footprint was drawn up for the Democrats in 2020. Nick DeSiato, chief of staff to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, was on hand to answer questions.
Williams-Smith said she anticipated further contact from the site selection panel. A final decision on where the convention will be held is expected by August. | 2022-03-22T21:31:22Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee makes pitch to host the 2024 RNC but deleted tweet reflects | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/03/22/milwaukee-makes-pitch-host-2024-rnc-but-deleted-tweet-reflects/7130900001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/03/22/milwaukee-makes-pitch-host-2024-rnc-but-deleted-tweet-reflects/7130900001/ |
Pewaukee multi-family development moves forward without opposition
CITY OF PEWAUKEE - An apartment development took another big step toward approval
The common council unanimously approved rezoning 14 acres of the 300-acre Ridgeview Corporate Park from office commercial to high-density residential.
It also approved, with conditions, a permit for a multi-family apartment development at the site, off I-94 on Redford Road.
The proposal, which appeared before the plan commission twice previously, includes 161 units (91 one-bedroom and 70 two-bedroom units) between three three-story buildings and two two-story buildings. Rent is estimated to be between $1,500 and $2,000 per month.
The 14 acres has remained unoccupied for roughly 30 years with owner Interstate Partners LLC unable to find an occupant. With an increased interest for living in the Pewaukee area, Interstate Partners is asking to create five// multi-family apartment buildings on the property.
“We’ve been trying to find an office user, and for 30 years we’ve been pretty much unsuccessful. Quite frankly, that kind of use has made it economically unviable,” said Interstate Partners CEO Francis Brzezinski. “People like Pewaukee. We like Pewaukee. We hope you consider the zoning change. It’s our last site on the 300-acre development, and we need your help on this one.”
The council spent about 15 minutes deliberating on the project before unanimously following the plan commission recommendation to approve it.
"The plan commission made it clear that they don’t feel like by their unanimous approval they are wavering from their vision for the city being really careful with multi-family," said Mayor Steve Bierce, who is a member of the commission. "They made it really clear the circumstances were so unique here that this is not a precedent-setting event. There are no neighbors, and there is no higher use for the small parcel."
Ald. Jerry Wamser brought up possible noise complaints about the nearby Waukesha Gun Club.
"I looked at this thing, and I love what I see here. It checks all the boxes except for one, and that's the gun club," he said. "I can hear it 5 miles away, and that's been there forever. I don't want anything to ever happen to it. It's a blessing to our community ... I hope you do something about noise control."
"I didn’t have a problem with it at plan commission, and I still don’t have a problem with it here," said Ald. Colleen Brown. "I think that it is one of those unicorn sites that fit in that industrial area, and in no way did I see it as something that would be contingent for any other parcel in the city. I think it was a very unique plan to come forward."
Before the project receives final approval, it will again go before the common council. It is unclear at this time when that will happen. | 2022-03-22T23:48:40Z | www.jsonline.com | Pewaukee multi-family development moves forward without opposition | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/22/pewaukee-multi-family-development-moves-forward-without-opposition/7123475001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/22/pewaukee-multi-family-development-moves-forward-without-opposition/7123475001/ |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Sal Frelick arrived at American Family Fields on Sunday morning and quickly received some news he hasn't necessarily expecting.
He'd be suiting up for his first major-league spring training game Monday night, with a shot at playing against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.
"Got to the complex and was told I would be coming over here," recounted Frelick after making his debut one to remember, going 2 for 2 with two runs batted in and two runs scored in the Milwaukee Brewers' 13-6 victory.
"I didn't know if I would be playing or not, but saw my name on the lineup card and I was real excited when I saw it.
"I don't know if there was much sleep."
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Frelick, the 15th pick in the 2021 draft and the Brewers' second overall prospect as rated by the Journal Sentinel, began the game on the bench along with two of the organization's two more highly touted minor-leaguers, Joey Wiemer and Freddy Zamora.
But Frelick was the first to enter the game, taking over in center field for Tyrone Taylor in the seventh.
He chopped a single through the hole between shortstop and third base in his first at-bat in the eighth, and then in the ninth chopped a two-run single up the middle past a drawn-in infield.
"Ideally, I want to hit the ball as hard as I can," he said. "But when I miss the ball that's what happens – I put it on the ground and give myself a chance to beat them out, and luckily I had a few squeak through today."
Then after the otherwise garden variety Cactus League game, Frelick had a tough time wiping the grin off his face while speaking to the media on the field.
"It was huge. It was my first taste of major-league-level baseball," he said. "It was fun coming out here. First time meeting some of the guys, too, which was great. Kind of putting faces to names and whatnot.
"Great experience as a whole and happy I got in at the end, too. I was able to get a couple hits there and catch a fly ball.
"So, all smiles."
Manager Craig Counsell is a big fan of such moments for his players as they begin their professional journeys.
"I think he's being honest with the way a lot of kids feel," he said. "It's exciting the first time you're on a big-league field with big-league players. It's a step for every player on their way to the big leagues, is playing in their first major-league spring training game.
"That's cool that he was excited about it. You recognize it, because you went through it at one point, and that day is a thrill. And it's just another step in your journey."
Frelick signed with the Brewers for $4 million and then split 35 games across three levels in the minors last season, topping out at advanced Class A Wisconsin.
He might begin 2022 with the Timber Rattlers as well, but a promotion to Class AA Biloxi certainly is within his grasp.
"He's a talented player; a first-round draft pick," Counsell said. "He's obviously a really talented player. He had a good debut in the minor leagues and he's been really good on the minor-league side, so there's a lot to be excited about."
Wiemer, Milwaukee's minor-league player of the year after turning in a monster 2021, logged three plate appearances after replacing Andrew McCutchen as the designated hitter.
He struck out, walked and then capped his night by almost hitting a three-run home run to center.
"I'd seen some of Sal's at-bats on the minor-league side. But that was the first at-bat I've seen of Joey Wiemer's," said Counsell. "He's entertaining, I guess is the best way to say it. I think that's really cool. I think baseball needs players like that.
"He's entertaining, how he goes about it. It's real. It reminds me of Eric Byrnes a little bit, a former teammate (with Arizona). But, it's his style and it's entertaining."
Zamora, a 2021 draft mate of Wiemer's, was the only one of the trio to not see action.
"It was great to do it with them," Frelick said. "Joey is one of the guys I've looked up to and coming in as an outfielder he kind of took me under his wing, so it was definitely great to get out there with him." | 2022-03-22T23:49:16Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers' Sal Frelick had a Cactus League debut to remember vs. Giants | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/22/brewers-sal-frelick-had-cactus-league-debut-remember-vs-giants/7129536001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/22/brewers-sal-frelick-had-cactus-league-debut-remember-vs-giants/7129536001/ |
The state Department of Justice on Wednesday issued an Amber Alert for a 3-month-old child from Milwaukee.
According to the alert, Anthony L. Crudup Jr. went missing around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 4300 block of West Marion Street in Milwaukee. Anthony is Black, 2 feet 2 inches with black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a two-piece sweatsuit that's light and dark blue.
He might be walking with Vonaisha Washington, a 15-year-old girl who is not related to Anthony. Washington is described as Black, 5 feet 2 inches with brown eyes and a red bonnet. She was last seen wearing a green shirt, pink shorts and an olive jacket.
No additional information was immediately available. Anyone with information on Anthony's whereabouts should call the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7405. | 2022-03-23T12:51:22Z | www.jsonline.com | Amber Alert issued for 3-month-old Milwaukee boy | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/23/amber-alert-issued-3-month-old-milwaukee-boy/7138447001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/23/amber-alert-issued-3-month-old-milwaukee-boy/7138447001/ |
Democratic U.S. Senate contender Mandela Barnes releases 'Make it Here' manufacturing agenda
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes is out with his second economic plan of the campaign Wednesday, releasing what he called a "Make it Here" manufacturing agenda.
Barnes, the state's lieutenant governor, said he would push to fund new research and development tax credits for small and medium-sized businesses and update federal regulations for the global shipping industry.
Barnes, who previously issued an agenda on rural issues, reaffirmed his support for Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin's "Made in America Act," requiring the use of American goods and services in federal contracts.
He also called for support for semiconductor manufacturing as well as renewable energy projects while vowing to push to renegotiate trade deals.
Barnes said he was releasing his plan "to breathe new life into manufacturing in Wisconsin, support communities and create new jobs."\
Manufacturing has emerged as a key issue in the Democratic primary.
Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry's campaign has focused heavily on bolstering manufacturing with pro-union proposals to "Buy America" and to bring jobs back from China.
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson has called for the creation of a national program to build industrial capacity in a push to "make more goods in America."
State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski has pushed for key investments in rural areas.
The primary is Aug. 9. The winner will face Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, who is running for a third term. | 2022-03-23T12:51:28Z | www.jsonline.com | Mandela Barnes releases 'Make it Here' manufacturing agenda | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/23/mandela-barnes-releases-make-here-manufacturing-agenda/7134309001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/23/mandela-barnes-releases-make-here-manufacturing-agenda/7134309001/ |
A West Allis man has designed the Lake Country DockHounds baseball team’s fan T-shirt
While attending a Lake Country Dockhounds baseball game in Oconomowoc this summer you might be lucky enough to catch a T-shirt tossed into the stands by the team's mascot, Louie.
If so, you'll see the winning design for this season created by Jay Matz of West Allis, the team announced on its Facebook page. The design for Oconomowoc's independent professional baseball team features a blue hound jumping off a dock with the slogan "Unleashing Baseball."
It was after his son's baseball practice that Matz, 47, found out he'd won the design competition after seeing that he was in the lead when he checked his phone. The next day, the team emailed him that he'd won.
"It's funny because my wife says I have no fashion style, and now I'm designing shirts," he said.
"That was pretty cool," he said. Matz, who works as the creative director for the American Heart Association, said the design was inspired after spending time at the Wisconsin State Fair with his two kids.
"Every year we go to the state fair, and my kids' favorite show to go see is the diving dogs where they have a big pool and they run off the back. They love to go see that. So when I thought of the DockHounds, that's what I thought of," he said.
Matz's design will be on T-shirts tossed at all the DockHounds home games.
The Lake Country DockHounds are less than 60 days from playing professional baseball at their new stadium in Lake Country. The home opener is scheduled for May 20 against the Winnipeg Goldeyes. The team starts the season a week earlier, on May 13, with an away game.
The Dockhounds will play in the American Association of Professional Baseball. They are led by manager Jim Bennett, who's been coaching since 1992.
For more information on the team and project, visit dockhounds.com.
RELATED:One manager of the year, along with two former Milwaukee Brewers, will coach the Lake Country DockHounds next year | 2022-03-23T16:32:56Z | www.jsonline.com | Oconomowoc's Lake Country Dockhounds reports T-shirt designer Jay Matz | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/23/oconomowocs-lake-country-dockhounds-reports-t-shirt-designer-jay-matz/9454842002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/23/oconomowocs-lake-country-dockhounds-reports-t-shirt-designer-jay-matz/9454842002/ |
Town of Lisbon seeks to become Waukesha County's newest village
The town of Lisbon filed a petition to incorporate as a village on Monday, according to Waukesha County Circuit Court records.
Joseph Osterman, the current town chairman, and Matt Gehrke, former town chairman, submitted the petition. More than 400 town residents signed the petition, which circulated throughout February to support the incorporation.
A Waukesha County judge will determine whether the town's petition meets the criteria for incorporation. If it does, the petition will be reviewed by the state Department of Administration, and if it is approved, a referendum will be presented to town voters.
According to the DOA, the key factors for incorporation are that a town needs 2,500 residents, a population density of at least 500 people within any one square mile and that the town exceeds six square miles. Osterman said those requirements are met.
Incorporation timeline
A hearing is scheduled for March 28 in Waukesha County Circuit Court.
If the circuit judge approves the petition, the town board could send the application to incorporate to the DOA by April 28.
If the DOA approves the application, the town could ask the circuit court to set an election for Feb. 21, 2023, for an incorporation referendum.
If the referendum passes, the election of a new village board could take place April 4, 2023.
Why incorporate?
The primary reason for incorporation is to protect Lisbon's lands from being annexed by neighboring communities, which erodes the town's tax base, according to the town website. Additionally, villages have more zoning and extraterritorial authority, subdivision autonomy and community identity, as well as the ability to make local planning and zoning decisions.
Incorporation would also improve Lisbon's ability to attract and retain businesses, and also has the potential for an improved bond rating because of secure borders, the site noted.
"We get to maintain our way of life (if the town becomes a village)," said Osterman. "The biggest thing is that who the people vote for makes the decisions (for a village)."
This isn't the first time the town has tried to incorporate. A 2011 petition was rejected, Osterman said.
"We think our chances are good," he said, noting that this time, Lisbon has "unanimous support" from its bordering municipalities. He said a recent boundary agreement with Sussex will be helpful in the incorporation effort.
The agreement with Sussex entails moving 49 homes from Lisbon to Sussex, a move that will be presented to affected residents on the April 5 ballot. If residents do not approve that referendum, a secondary agreement would be enacted.
Under the secondary agreement, the amount of sewer and water services Lisbon is entitled to receive from Sussex would increase, according to town documents. Other land exchanges would also take place. Town Administrator Kathy Nickolaus confirmed that Lannon Stone Co. quarries, which are currently in Sussex, would be transferred to Lisbon. Also under that agreement, about 80 acres of farmland near Highway 164 and Richmond Road would be transferred from Lisbon to Susssex.
Past incorporation efforts
This is not the first time the town has explored the possibility of incorporation.
Lisbon and Sussex explored the option of merging in the 1980s but ultimately deciding against it.
Lisbon officials revisited incorporation in 1990 but tabled it indefinitely.
In 2008, two former town supervisors and a former plan commissioner launched a petition drive to support incorporating as a village. The petition later failed.
In 2011, the state Incorporation Review Board dismissed the town's attempt at incorporation because it failed to meet all the requirements, including homogeneity and compactness of the town, the impact on the remainder of the town and the impact on the metropolitan community.
And in 2020, the state rejected required border agreements the town would have needed to incorporate.
Lisbon is the most recent town in Waukesha County to seek to incorporate, but others have successfully done so. In 2020, both the town of Waukesha and town of Vernon incorporated as villages. | 2022-03-23T16:33:08Z | www.jsonline.com | Town of Lisbon petitions to incorporate as Waukesha County village | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/lisbon/2022/03/23/town-lisbon-petitions-incorporate-waukesha-county-village/7127983001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/lisbon/2022/03/23/town-lisbon-petitions-incorporate-waukesha-county-village/7127983001/ |
NEW BERLIN - You could look at this $1.2 million property in New Berlin as a home, or you might opt to view it as a mini resort.
For the pending buyer of this outdoors-y residence at 1920 S. Springdale Road, the latter seemed the obvious choice, reinforced by dozens of photos showing the elaborately nature-themed features within.
Either way, this six-bedroom six-bath home on 17.5 acres drew quick attention, resulting in a pending sale just days after it was listed.
Based on what the buyer has said, the home will become an Airbnb, taking advantage of an atmosphere created by the previous owner and occupant, who likewise had a history dealing with properties that appealed to guests looking for a getaway.
Among the features of this home, which eXp Realty in Milwaukee openly marketed as a potential Airbnb investment property, are stone-like walls and column supports accentuated by matching architectural details in 5,254 square feet of space.
That includes an indoor pond in an atrium room that perhaps can be best described as a nature lounge. And an outdoor 3.5-acre lake in a spacious backyard, all paralleling the New Berlin Recreational Trail south of Highway 59.
Christian Anderson, the real estate agent involved in the sale, said his phone had been ringing nonstop in mid-March with inquiries about the home.
"Lots of people calling just to come and take a look," Anderson said. "When it was up there (on listings) for a week, I didn't have five minutes where my phone wasn't ringing."
The property — which Waukesha County tax records indicate was owned in 2021 by Robert Rainek — was occupied by the owner who lived there for 28 years, raising a family in what originally started as little more than cabin in 1945 and was renovated into something far grander, Anderson said.
From his understanding of the seller, Anderson said he was a property owner with a history of picturesque holdings.
"He ran vacation and cabin rentals, he constructed cabin homes, he rented out private islands off Key West," he said. "He had many other interesting properties like this that he used to rent out, but now he's getting older and selling off what he's got."
With a buyer in hand, Anderson said the sale is still being processed. It's expected to close in early May, with the buyer considering offering tours of the property. If, in fact, it does become an Airbnb, the door may likewise open for those interested in a more intimate connection, he added.
More:This five-bedroom, eight-bathroom Mequon home with a 7,000-bottle wine room is on the market for $1.8 million | 2022-03-23T16:33:20Z | www.jsonline.com | New Berlin jungle house listed for sale at $1.2 million | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/new-berlin/2022/03/23/new-berlin-jungle-house-listed-sale-1-2-million/9454251002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/new-berlin/2022/03/23/new-berlin-jungle-house-listed-sale-1-2-million/9454251002/ |
1. Realtors Home & Garden Show at Wisconsin State Fair Park
The Realtors Homer & Garden Show returns for its 96th annual edition to State Fair Park's Wisconsin Exposition Center in Wet Allis March 25 with garden displays and scores of exhibitors. Tickets at the box office are $10, $6 for seniors 65 and older, and free for kids 12 and younger, and for active and retired military, emergency service personnel and front-line workers. The home and garden show runs through April 3; hours this weekend are 10 a.m. to 8 pm. March 25-26, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 27. Info: mkehgs.com.
2. Oscars viewing party at No Studios
No Studios is hosting a viewing party for the 94th Academy Awards starting at 5 p.m. March 27 at the creative arts hub at 1037 W. McKinley Ave. The night includes a "sparkling saké welcome," a red carpet, hors d'oeuvres, specialty cocktails and more. The Oscars telecast starts at 7 p.m. locally on WISN-TV (Channel 12). Admission is $30, $20 for No Studio members. Info: nostudios.com/events.
RELATED:The new movies opening in Milwaukee this weekend
3. FIRST Robotics Wisconsin Regional
The FIRST Robotics Competition's Wisconsin Regional encamps at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena March 23 through March 26. At the regional, high school student teams compete using technology and engineering skills to build 'bots to confront a specific challenge. Info: firstinspireswi.org/first-robotics-competition. | 2022-03-23T16:33:26Z | www.jsonline.com | 3 things you probably should be doing in Milwaukee this weekend | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/events/2022/03/23/3-things-you-probably-should-doing-milwaukee-weekend-realtors-home-garden-show-first-robotics/7062172001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/events/2022/03/23/3-things-you-probably-should-doing-milwaukee-weekend-realtors-home-garden-show-first-robotics/7062172001/ |
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity receive historic donations
Two nonprofits that work to serve Wisconsinites in need will benefit from "transformational" gifts made by billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott this week.
The headlining donation is to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, which announced Wednesday that it received $17 million to expand the organization's work in the state. It is the largest individual gift the organization has ever received.
"I really immediately thought about what this would mean and especially (in terms of) the political winds that constantly blow at us," said Tanya Atkinson, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin President and CEO. "And while those political winds won't go away, I thought about how a transformational gift like this offers us (the ability to) be there for our patients and communities."
The donation — which brings Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin halfway to a $36 million fundraising goal — is a portion of a historic $275 million gift Scott made to Planned Parenthood at the national level.
Scott —who was formerly married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and has pledged to give away the majority of her wealth — also donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity this week.
Milwaukee's Habitat for Humanity announced Tuesday that it received $5.75 million of that sum, also the single largest donation in its history. The gift is about double what Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity usually receives in individual contributions over an entire year.
"We initially were a little bit skeptical when we received an email from MacKenzie Scott's camp noting that there might be potential for this large of a gift," said Jake Brandt, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity's director of marketing and communication. "And when it came to fruition, we were surprised, humbled and really invigorated that this is going to serve even more families in the city."
Both organizations said the news that they are receiving the donations was unexpected and they are working to determine how, specifically, they will invest the money in service of their missions. Brandt said Scott does not accept solicitations for donations, so they did not know that they were going to get a gift of this size nor were they given any specific requirements around how the infusion of cash must be used.
The news from both organizations comes after the announcement last week that the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee would receive $17 million from Scott as part of a $281 million investment she made in the organization nationwide.
Habitat for Humanity works to break down barriers that exist for Milwaukee families in need as they seek to own their first home. Currently, one in three Milwaukee renters spends half or more of their income on housing, an issue the organization addresses by constructing and selling affordable homes.
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is the largest reproductive health care provider in the state. The nonprofit serves 60,000 patients annually across 22 health centers in Wisconsin.
Atkinson said the news of the gift brought her to tears. She noted it comes at a tense time, with the future of access to abortion in particular under threat. If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion would be illegal in Wisconsin under a 172-year-old state law.
More:More than 1 in 5 women have irregular menstrual cycles. What does that mean for abortion access?
The gift will allow the organization to support people who are seeking a safe and legal abortion, even if they end up needing to leave the state to get one, Atkinson said.
But she also said the impact would go way beyond abortion access. She said she thought of the people who have told her they were alive because Planned Parenthood caught their cancer early enough to be treated. She thought of the Spanish-speaking community health promoters who shifted last year from spreading awareness about sexually transmitted infections to COVID-19 vaccines. And she thought of the potential to expand telehealth services further into rural communities.
"To have what we consider a transformational investment of this magnitude allows us to not only protect access to the full range of the services we provide but also to expand access to people who are most in need across the entire state," she said. | 2022-03-23T19:48:50Z | www.jsonline.com | MacKenzie Scott's philanthropy brings millions to Wisconsin nonprofits | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/2022/03/23/mackenzie-scott-philanthropy-brings-millions-wisconsin-nonprofit-planned-parenthood-habitat-humanity/7132860001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/2022/03/23/mackenzie-scott-philanthropy-brings-millions-wisconsin-nonprofit-planned-parenthood-habitat-humanity/7132860001/ |
MADISON – The U.S. Supreme Court threw out Wisconsin's legislative maps Wednesday, less than three weeks after a narrowly divided state Supreme Court put them in place.
Wednesday's ruling leaves uncertain what maps will be used for the fall elections for the state Senate and Assembly. The Wisconsin high court will now have to revisit the case to decide where to put the lines.
Republicans praised the decision over the state legislative districts, but faced a separate setback Wednesday when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the state's congressional maps.
Federal law is complicated because those who draw election maps must not consider race in some instances but are required to do so in areas with large minority populations to ensure those voters can elect candidates of their choosing.
The maps the state justices adopted were drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers but had a strong Republican tilt to them.
Wednesday's decision left open the possibility for the state justices to try to reinstate Evers' maps. But to do so the state justices would have to take additional evidence to determine what the Voting Rights Act requires in Milwaukee.
In its unsigned opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court majority wrote that the state justices could not create a seventh majority Black district in the Assembly unless they first thoroughly investigated whether one was necessary under the Voting Rights Act.
"When the Wisconsin Supreme Court endeavored to undertake a full strict-scrutiny analysis, it did not do so properly under our precedents, and its judgment cannot stand," the majority wrote.
In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the majority had unfairly found the state court at fault for trying to comply with precedents that are "hazy at best." She was joined by Justice Elena Kagan.
Sotomayor called the state court's decision appropriate, noting it had left room for future litigation over the Voting Rights Act if necessary.
"This Court's intervention today is not only extraordinary but also unnecessary," Sotomayor wrote of the U.S. Supreme Court majority.
Wednesday's ruling ensures another fast-moving round of litigation over Wisconsin's election maps.
No one offered an immediate timeline for resolving the lawsuit, but state law allows candidates to take out nomination papers to get on the ballot on April 15. Candidates must submit those papers to election officials by June 1.
The primary is Aug. 9 and the general election is Nov. 8.
Rick Esenberg, the president of the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, praised Wednesday's ruling. His group brought the lawsuit that put redistricting before the state Supreme Court.
"This is a critical victory to ensure that our government not make decisions on the basis of race," Esenberg said in a statement about Wednesday’s decision.
Sachin Chheda, the director of the Fair Elections Project, said the nation’s high court had thrown Wisconsin’s elections into "chaos" just before nomination papers are to be taken out. His group has pushed for having nonpartisan officials draw election maps.
"Never has it been clearer that the U.S. Supreme Court majority will do anything it can to advance Republican interests, rather than the law, the Constitution, and the will of the people," he said in a statement.
Congressional maps still in place
In a short, separate order Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the congressional maps that the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted this month.
The congressional maps the state court adopted made Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil's district in southeastern Wisconsin much more competitive. Steil and other Wisconsin Republicans this month asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put a hold on those maps.
States must draw new legislative and congressional districts every 10 years based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau to make sure districts have equal populations. Where the lines go can give big political advantages to one political party.
Evers and Republicans who control the Legislature couldn't agree on maps, which left them to be decided by the state Supreme Court.
The state justices in November issued a 4-3 decision saying they would make as few changes to the existing districts as possible. That ruling was a victory for Republicans because they drew those districts in 2011 and they heavily favor their party.
A different 4-3 majority this month selected Evers' maps, saying the plans he proposed included the fewest changes of any submitted to the court.
Justice Brian Hagedorn was the only justice in both majorities. He was elected in 2019 with the support of Republicans but has frustrated conservatives in a string of high-profile cases by siding with the court's liberals.
He is sure to be the most closely watched justice in the next round of the legal fight. | 2022-03-23T19:48:56Z | www.jsonline.com | U.S. Supreme Court throws out Wisconsin's redistricting plan | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/03/23/u-s-supreme-court-throws-out-wisconsins-redistricting-plan/7142023001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/03/23/u-s-supreme-court-throws-out-wisconsins-redistricting-plan/7142023001/ |
Ridah Syed
The 2022 spring general election season is now underway with several local elections taking place, including city of Milwaukee mayor. In-person early voting began on March 22 and will run through April 2 before the general election on April 5.
If you are not already registered to vote, in-person voter registration, including address changes, will end on April 1 at all voting sites.
Drop-off ballot boxes will not be available this election season. However, absentee voters can submit their ballots via curbside ballot drop-off at all early voting locations on March 26 and April 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For all Milwaukee-area suburban early voting locations, check with your county clerk. For more information on voter registration, sample ballots and polling locations, visit MyVote.wi.gov.
Here are all the early voting locations in Milwaukee:
Milwaukee early voting locations
Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building (841 N. Broadway, Room 102)
When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 22-April 2.
Midtown Center (5700 W. Capitol Drive)
Zablocki Library (3501 W. Oklahoma Ave.)
When: Noon to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, March 22-April 2.
Good Hope Library (7717 W. Good Hope Road) | 2022-03-23T22:42:41Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee early voting for the spring 2022 election is through April 2 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/03/23/milwaukee-early-voting-spring-2022-election-through-april-2/7132164001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/03/23/milwaukee-early-voting-spring-2022-election-through-april-2/7132164001/ |
PHOENIX -- The Milwaukee Brewers began whittling their camp roster down on Wednesday prior to their game against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.
Twelve players were pared, leaving the camp roster at 44 (21 pitchers, four catchers, 11 infielders, eight outfielders).
The most prominent cuts were catcher Mario Feliciano, who was optioned to Class AAA Nashville along with right-handers Alec Bettinger and Dylan File, left-hander Angel Perdomo and outfielder Corey Ray, and left-hander Ethan Small, who was assigned to minor-league camp.
Feliciano made his major-league debut last season with the Brewers, a one-game appearance that saw him walk and score the winning run in the 11th inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was limited to 39 games last season in the minor leagues due to a shoulder impingment, and hit .210 with three home runs and 19 runs driven in for Class AAA Nashville.
"Mario, a big factor is health," manager Craig Counsell said of the Brewers' seventh-ranked prospect according to the Journal Sentinel.
"We need Mario to be healthy and on the field, accumulating at-bats at a high level. He's a hitter, and with experience catching, I think we're confident he can do the job.
"It's just being on the field."
Also sent out were Small, right-handers Jason Alexander, Luke Barker, Moisés Gómez, Hobie Harris and Connor Sadzeck, infielder Andruw Monasterio and outfielder Garrett Whitley, who were all assigned to minor-league camp.
Small started the Brewers' Cactus League opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers and threw two scoreless innings. | 2022-03-24T03:42:34Z | www.jsonline.com | Mario Feliciano, Ethan Small headline list of Brewers camp cuts | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/23/catching-prospect-mario-feliciano-headlines-list-brewers-camp-cuts/7148259001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/23/catching-prospect-mario-feliciano-headlines-list-brewers-camp-cuts/7148259001/ |
Last year, the Milwaukee Bucks were all about making history — not only on the court, but also behind the mic.
This season is no different.
In September, the Bucks hired Lisa Byington as the first full-time female play-by-play announcer for a major men's professional sports team.
Now, in celebration of Women's History Month, the first female public address announcer in Bucks history will be taking the mic for Thursday night's game against the Wizards, according to a Wednesday news release from the team.
"It still really hasn't hit me," said longtime PA announcer Bonnie Oleson.
Oleson is the PA announcer for the University of Wisconsin-Madison women’s volleyball, basketball and softball teams. On occasion, she also announces for the women's soccer and hockey teams.
"Wherever anyone wants me to talk in a microphone, I'm like 'Heck yes! Sign me up,' " she said in an interview Wednesday night.
Her all-time favorite career moment was when the Badgers women's volleyball team won the national championship against Nebraska in December. She started as their PA announcer 24 years ago.
"It's been fun going from announcing the national champions to announcing the world champions," Oleson said. "It's been quite a year."
On Thursday, she'll be doing all of the PA announcing inside Fiserv Forum. She'll start about an hour before tip-off, talking about sponsorships and events that will be happening during the game. Then, she'll announce the starting lineups. During the game, she'll fill the audience in on giveaways and games.
"Doing this Bucks game is going to be quite a highlight," she said. "I don't know how I'm going to cap this."
“We are so excited to have Bonnie as our PA announcer for Thursday’s game,” Johnny Watson, Bucks executive producer of arena and event presentation, said in the news release. “Bonnie is an experienced PA announcer and she will bring her exceptional talent to the Bucks’ mic at Fiserv Forum.”
Oleson also works in events for both Mid-West Family Madison and Madison Festivals. And she volunteers as an announcer with the Miracle League.
"I love it because it's different every day," she said. "There's something new to do, I get to meet a ton of great people and I always have something different on my plate."
Before joining the Badgers, Oleson worked for the radio stations Z104 in Madison and WKTI in Milwaukee.
RELATED:First 10,000 fans at Fiserv Forum Thursday to get replica Milwaukee Bucks championship ring | 2022-03-24T03:42:40Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee to have first Bucks female PA announcer in history Thursday | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/23/milwaukee-have-first-bucks-female-pa-announcer-history-thursday/7148303001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/23/milwaukee-have-first-bucks-female-pa-announcer-history-thursday/7148303001/ |
Jeridon Clark has been named the Cedarburg School District's next superintendent, according to a news release from the district.
The School Board is expected to approve Clark's contract at a special meeting March 28.
Clark, who is currently the Mequon-Thiensville School District's assistant superintendent of educational services, was one of two finalists for the position. The other finalist was Vicki King, the director of assessment and accountability in the Big Hollow School District 38 in Lake County, Illinois.
Clark said he was honored to have been selected as the district's next superintendent.
"Cedarburg is an outstanding community and district, and I really do cherish the opportunity to be able to work with the Cedarburg team to continue moving the district forward as we support the learning of each student in the Cedarburg School District," Clark said in a phone interview March 23.
Clark will replace current Superintendent Todd Bugnacki, who announced in November that he will retire at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
Clark was also recently a finalist for the Oconomowoc Area School District superintendent role, but that job went to Michael Sereno, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for the Elmbrook School District.
Clark has more than 25 years of experience in public education. He has served in several leadership roles since 2011 in the Mequon-Thiensville School District, including as its director of information and technology, executive director of organizational alignment and for the last four years in his current role.
Clark was also a teacher and administrator in New Berlin and Mequon, according to the district's news release.
If approved, Clark will work with the Cedarburg School Board and the district's administrative team "to develop the relationships, systems, standards, and experiences that will allow all students, staff, and administrators to realize their greatest potential and ensure that the Cedarburg School District continues to flourish as a high performing district," the release said.
Clark has taken leadership training through numerous programs.
Clark has provided leadership on effective uses of data, how to implement high-quality instructional practices and capacity building for district and building-level instructional specialists. He has also helped "to establish district goals, develop action plans, train building leadership teams, and make budgetary, hiring, and program decisions," the district said in its news release. | 2022-03-24T12:54:39Z | www.jsonline.com | Cedarburg School District picks Jeridon Clark for superintendent job | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/cedarburg/2022/03/24/cedarburg-school-district-picks-jeridon-clark-superintendent-job/7142150001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/cedarburg/2022/03/24/cedarburg-school-district-picks-jeridon-clark-superintendent-job/7142150001/ |
The total value of Wisconsin homes and other properties sold in 2021 increased at the fastest rate in around 15 years — yet another sign of a strong housing market in Milwaukee and other Wisconsin communities.
Wisconsin’s revenues from fees on real estate sales totaled $132.6 million in the 12-month period ending June 30, according to a new study from the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
That compared to about $96.8 million in revenue for the year-earlier period — an increase of 37%.
Inflation-adjusted fee revenue in 2021 reached a level rivaling the height of the housing boom in 2005 and 2006, according to the forum's analysis of data collected by the state Department of Administration.
State projections indicate that revenue could reach an all-time high in the current fiscal year, according to the forum, a nonpartisan civic group.
The fee equals $3 for every $1,000 of the value of real estate property being transferred. The vast majority of property transfers are sales.
The 2021 real estate market was driven in part by historically low mortgage interest rates, the report said.
Those rates have lately been increasing due to inflation.
Other factors include strong demand from millennials reaching ages in which people often buy homes, and a limited supply of homes, according to the Wisconsin Realtors Association.
The forum's report said increases in transfer fees occurred in all Wisconsin counties except Vernon County.
Increases ranged from 1.1% in Green County to as much as 31% in Iron County.
The growth was driven primarily by residential values.
The median value of single-family residential properties transferred in Wisconsin increased from $126,500 in 2016 to $170,000 in 2021, or 34.4%.
"While these increases were broadly shared, they were particularly robust and sustained in many of the state’s large urban counties," the report said.
It also includes some exurban counties such as Jefferson and St. Croix; counties where tourism plays an outsized role in the local real estate market, such as Sauk and Walworth, and a handful of largely rural counties. | 2022-03-24T12:55:09Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin home, property sales values increased rapidly in 2021 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/24/wisconsin-home-property-sales-values-increased-rapidly-2021/7142902001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/24/wisconsin-home-property-sales-values-increased-rapidly-2021/7142902001/ |
Democratic U.S. Senate contenders in Wisconsin focus on manufacturing
For the top Democrats running for U.S. Senate, a hot topic of the race is something embedded in Wisconsin's DNA — manufacturing.
They've got big plans and big ideas as they try to appeal to primary voters and make the case as to why they deserve the nomination to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in the fall.
On Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes was the latest candidate to release a plan. He called his proposal the "Make it Here" agenda.
It was a pro-union declaration, with a call to renegotiate trade deals, create targeted tax credits, push advanced manufacturing and provide worker training.
"We are incredibly proud of our tradition of making things at home," Barnes said. "But unfortunately, we have seen a decline in manufacturing jobs thanks to lawmakers in both parties who sold out American manufacturing with outsourcing and bad trade deals."
More:'It's not like we don't have enough jobs here in Wisconsin': Ron Johnson won't try to land Oshkosh Corp. postal vehicle work
Like all the other major contenders in the race, Barnes reaffirmed his support for Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin's "Made in America Act," requiring the use of American goods and services in federal contracts.
The reforms contained in the Baldwin bill were included in the bipartisan infrastructure package that passed the Senate and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Johnson did not support that infrastructure measure.
In many ways, Barnes, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson and state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski are following the political path Baldwin blazed.
In her two runs for Senate in 2012 and 2018, Baldwin put manufacturing front and center.
The idea of prioritizing the purchase of American-made goods was also promoted by ex-President Donald Trump during his 2016 election and his administration.
According to the National Association of Manufacturers, nearly 17% of Wisconsin's workforce — an average of 420,000 people —were employed in manufacturing last year,
Barnes, whose father was an autoworker, said the issue can bridge the rural vs. urban divide.
"The decline of manufacturing has affected all communities," he said during a virtual news conference. "This is what I hear when I'm talking to voters on the ground."
Barnes added, "We have a responsibility to return not just to where we were but to return to be even better."
John Drew, vice president of United Auto Workers Local 72 in Milwaukee, appeared on the Barnes news conference and said: "These are exactly the type of issues we should be talking about now as we go into the midterm elections that really matter to people, that affect their lives."
The issue flared in a concrete way earlier this year. Democrats were quick to condemn Johnson for comments he made about a plan by a part of Oshkosh Corp. to place 1,000 new jobs in South Carolina to build new U.S. Postal Service vehicles.
Barnes, Lasry, Godlewski, Nelson and Steven Olikara later appeared at a February rally outside Oshkosh Corp. to demand the trucks be built in Wisconsin. Lasry's campaign has focused heavily on bolstering manufacturing with pro-union proposals to "Buy America" and to bring jobs back from China.
Lasry said from his campaign's inception he has been talking about "how to bring good-paying jobs, union jobs, back to Wisconsin. One of the things that we can do is make sure that we're making things here in America."
Asked if the issue is resonating with voters, Lasry said, "This is one of those times where the policy is great politics because we're talking about how we're going to create jobs and bring investment here."
Godlewski has pushed for key investments in rural areas as she lays out her economic agenda.
"We need to make things right here," Godlewski said, "It's the right thing to do for our economy and the right thing to do overall. We have to make sure we are training and building our workforce."
"We've got to look at tax reform in a way to stop shipping jobs overseas and make sure we're encouraging things to be made here," she said.
Godlewski also said there needs to be a focus on housing.
"We are on the verge of a housing crisis," she said. "We don't have enough workforce housing across the state and our local communities don't have the resources to provide it."
Nelson has called for the creation of a national program to build industrial capacity in a push to "make more goods in America." His book, "One Day Stronger," focused on the role he and others played in saving the Appleton Coated Mill, which was renamed Midwest Paper Group.
"Both the state and the country are at a flashpoint and all of it is converging at the same time and in the same election year," Nelson said.
Nelson said there are two trends: The impact of off-shoring production and manufacturing over the last 30 years leading to supply chain problems and inflation, coupled with union jobs going to non-union workers in other states.
"Overall, the focus of this race is increasingly on manufacturing," Nelson said. | 2022-03-24T12:55:27Z | www.jsonline.com | Manufacturing a focus in Wisconsin U.S. Senate race | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/03/24/manufacturing-focus-wisconsin-u-s-senate-race-ron-johnson-mandela-barnes-sarah-godlewski-alex-lasry/7142764001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/03/24/manufacturing-focus-wisconsin-u-s-senate-race-ron-johnson-mandela-barnes-sarah-godlewski-alex-lasry/7142764001/ |
After his left leg was amputated, this Wauwatosa umpire is set to return to the baseball diamond after two years away
David Furru loves baseball.
He started playing it at age 6 and didn't stop until he was 35.
First, it was Little League. Then high school. He even played for area recreational softball leagues for several years.
"It's just the whole game — the strategy, the way the game is played ... the thinking about it — everything that goes into baseball," said Furru, of Wauwatosa.
But Furru eventually traded in his cleats and glove for an umpire mask and chest protector. For the past 18 years, he's been on the other side of the 17-inch square of whitened rubber, doing what he loves most: calling balls and strikes as an umpire.
But in May 2020, that suddenly changed when Furru got a phone call that would change his life forever.
After heading to the hospital for what he thought was COVID-19, his doctors informed him that he actually had a bacterial infection in his left leg. He was rushed to the hospital and was told that his leg couldn't be saved. Doctors amputated his leg below the knee.
"It turns out that if I waited another day or two, I might not be here," Furru said.
What followed was months of physical therapy, as he now uses a prosthetic limb.
But through it all, Furru had one thing on his mind: Could he get back to the baseball field?
"I was determined to come back from this, and it was my question every time I met a physical therapist ... is this a possibility, is this a goal that I can get back to the field? Can I participate in baseball again?" Furru said.
That answer was yes.
Now he's just days away from umping his first baseball game since the amputation.
His first game back will be on April 5, in a high school baseball game at Beaumont Field in Burlington.
He's nervous but also excited.
"I'm raring to go," Furru said.
He knows he might not have a perfect game, but he wants the focus to be on the kids and the game.
"Once we walk between the lines, I just want it to be about baseball and nothing else," he said.
A long road back
Furru was able to attend several baseball games last year. He also attended some training classes for new umpires before this season so he could get in some practice and prepare, both physically and mentally.
He's still building up his strength and knows he won't be as fast as he once was.
But that doesn't change his determination to make the right call.
"As far as running around, I'm going to do my best. I'll get there when I can, and I'll get the right angle, and I'll make the best call I can make," he said.
It'll also help that he'll call the game with his umpire partner of five years during his first game back and throughout much of the season.
"Every time I go out on the field, I feel that I learn something," Furru said. "The day I think I know everything about baseball, that's the day I'm taking off because this game can always surprise you; that's the beauty of baseball."
Shortage of umps seen across the state, nation
Furru, who is a member of the Wisconsin Umpires Association, has been part of the association's training staff since 2010.
Furru has officiated youth, high school and college baseball games. He even appeared as an umpire in the 2004 movie "Mr. 3000," which was filmed at then-Miller Park in Milwaukee.
"It was a way for me to continue being active in baseball when I wasn't playing anymore," said Furru, 59.
But in recent years, he's seen fewer and fewer new umpires on the baseball field.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association has seen a 39% decline in
licensed officials since 2010, according to a news release from the Wisconsin Umpires Association.
Registration of sports officials throughout the nation was down 30% in 2021, according to the National Association of Sports Officials.
National surveys also found that 48% of male officials and 45% of female officials said they have felt threatened after a game, according to a news release from Wisconsin Rep. Don Vruwink.
"Abuse of officials has become bigger and bigger," Furru said.
He's still encouraging more people to become sports officials and umpires.
"If people want to be really involved and see what they can do, officiating is a great way to continue to be involved in the sport or sports that you love," he said.
This year, Furru will wear a wristband that says "Sparks 23" in honor of Jackson Sparks, an 8-year-old boy who died after marching in the Waukesha Christmas Parade with his Waukesha Blazers baseball team.
Last November, Furru joined people across the nation who wore baseball jerseys to honor Sparks and his family.
Furru has officiated games for the Waukesha Blazers baseball club in the past.
"That young man cannot fulfill whatever baseball dreams he had, so I wanted to honor his memory and carry him out on the field with me this season and make it one of my motivating factors to continue to go out there and do the job that I want to do," he said. | 2022-03-24T15:31:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Wauwatosa umpire calling attention to the shortage of sports officials | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/03/24/wauwatosa-umpire-calling-attention-shortage-sports-officials/7121020001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/03/24/wauwatosa-umpire-calling-attention-shortage-sports-officials/7121020001/ |
A former supermarket near Milwaukee's Northridge Mall that's now a storage center would be expanded under proposal.
A former supermarket near Milwaukee's vacant Northridge Mall is that now serves as a private storage center would be expanded under a new $3 million proposal.
The former Pick 'n Save, 8120 W. Brown Deer Road, closed in 2014.
Menard Inc., which operates a neighboring home improvement store at 8110 W. Brown Deer Road, in 2017 obtained city Board of Zoning Appeals approval to convert the former supermarket into a self-storage center.
That facility has operated successfully. And Eau Claire-based Menard now wants to add 246 outdoor storage units.
That's according to the proposal filed with the zoning board.
Menard is planning to make that investment in part because of problems with people parking illegally and dumping trash in the 3-acre parking lot in front of the former Pick 'n Save, according to the proposal.
"It is a constant battle that Menards has to fight to keep that parking area looking clean as we try to make sure the neighborhood looks nice," the proposal said.
The solution: extend outdoor storage units around the parking area and allow legal vehicle parking within the facility.
"The expansion will act as a fence to prevent outside access to the parking lot," according to the proposal.
The planned investment would total $3 million, according to the company.
Menard, in its 2017 filing, said operating a self-storage center at the former Pick 'n Save would help pay for the building's maintenance costs until the home improvement retailer eventually expands into that space.
There was no immediate word Thursday from a company representative as to whether that is still the long-term plan.
Nor was there information on when the outdoor storage expansion would happen — assuming the zoning board approves Menard's request for a variance.
Menard's proposal surfaced just days after the city's long-time efforts to redevelop Northridge Mall had a setback.
That city's condemnation order targeting the mall, which closed in 2003, may not have followed reasonable standards required by law, according to a new decision from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
The court reversed a ruling by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge William Pocan that upheld the raze order. The appeals court sent the case back to the circuit court for further consideration.
That decision could be appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The decision is being reviewed by the city attorney's office.
Meanwhile, people who live and work on Milwaukee's far northwest side who want the site redeveloped will be facing a longer wait. | 2022-03-24T15:31:29Z | www.jsonline.com | Storage site near former Northridge Mall to grow under $3 million plan | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/03/24/storage-site-near-milwaukees-former-northridge-mall-grow-under-3-million-plan/7147592001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/03/24/storage-site-near-milwaukees-former-northridge-mall-grow-under-3-million-plan/7147592001/ |
UW programs this spring focus on democracy and the American Dream. Watch them at our websites.
The Journal Sentinel and USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin will livestream several democracy-focused programs this spring from the University of Wisconsin-Madison LaFollette School of Public Affairs.
The first, today at 5 p.m., features Harvard University Professor of Government Daniel Carpenter, who will discuss his book "Democracy by Petition," which traces the explosion and expansion of petitioning across the North American continent.
Among other things, petitions facilitated the extension of suffrage, the decline of feudal land tenure, and advances in liberty for women, African Americans, and Indigenous peoples.
Carpenter will discuss how the petition was used in the period prior to the Civil War and how that helped shape our democracy.
We'll livestream these events from the school this spring as well:
• 7 p.m., April 14: Anne Case, author of "Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism," will explain how flaws in capitalism are harming America’s working class. Among the issues she'll discuss: the nation's dramatic rise in deaths from opioid overdose, alcoholism, and suicide in recent decades and how the disparity between those who are prospering and those who are struggling continues to grow.
• May 2: I'll chat with the Washington Post’s Catherine Rampell, who is known for her data-driven coverage of economics, public policy, immigration and politics for the Post.
• May 4: We'll livestream the school's "La Follette Forum 2022: American Power, Prosperity, and Democracy."
For more information on all of these events — and to learn about attending in person in Madison — go to the LaFollette School's event page. | 2022-03-24T15:31:35Z | www.jsonline.com | University of Wisconsin programs focus on democracy, American Dream | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/solutions/2022/03/24/university-wisconsin-programs-focus-democracy-american-dream/7147570001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/solutions/2022/03/24/university-wisconsin-programs-focus-democracy-american-dream/7147570001/ |
I had end stage kidney failure at age 32, and a kidney transplant saved my life. Please consider becoming a living kidney donor.
Ben Voelkel
I’m a Republican running for lieutenant governor. As a candidate for statewide office, I’m often on the road 12 or more hours a day, crisscrossing the state and campaigning from morning until night. But two and a half years ago, I was a 32-year-old sitting in a hospital bed who had just been told my kidneys had failed and that I would need a transplant.
There had been signs I ignored for weeks. I had trouble falling asleep at night, my ankles were swollen every day, and after walking up the one flight of steps to my apartment I needed to lean on the door to catch my breath before unlocking it.
I found ways to explain away all these things. In truth, those were all signs of end stage kidney failure.
So a couple days after my diagnosis, on my 33rd birthday, I received my first dialysis treatment. I was told I’d be on dialysis until I was able to get a transplant — if I was fortunate enough to get one.
Across the country, more than 90,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, but last year only 24,670 people were fortunate enough to get one.
Waiting for a transplant often means enduring what can seem like endless rounds of dialysis, a painless treatment that nevertheless left me physically exhausted and mentally scrambled. The promise of a transplant kept me going, but sadly on average 12 people die every day waiting for a transplant.
Thankfully, my story had a different ending. Scores of friends and family volunteered to donate a kidney — to literally give of themselves so I could have a second chance at a full and healthy life. In the end, two donors rose to the top of the list — both coworkers of mine in Sen. Ron Johnson’s office. And after nine months, I walked into the hospital early on the morning of June 25, 2020, to receive a new kidney.
As I’m out campaigning, I tell this story frequently. It’s an important part of who I am, not as a candidate but as a person. The entire ordeal gave me a fresh perspective with which to view my life.
Life is short, time is precious, and we all owe a debt of gratitude to the many people who help us through each of our journeys.
What I didn’t expect is how the story is received. In just about every crowd, people knowingly nod their heads — they’ve either traveled the same path themselves or know a loved one who has. And the best reactions, really the best moments of the entire campaign, are the people who come up to me afterward to tell me their story about receiving or donating a kidney themselves.
It’s that last group, the donors, that we desperately need more of. For years there have been public awareness campaigns about organ donation, and by all means, I encourage you to sign the back of your drivers’ license to become a donor. But healthy, living kidney donors are also needed. Kidneys transplanted from living donors often lead to better results for the recipient, but of the roughly 25,000 kidney transplants last year, only about 6,000 involved living donors.
Here’s the thing: You don’t need to be a perfect match to a recipient, and in fact you don’t even need to know someone in need to make a difference. In 2020, 835 transplants — including my own — occurred through a matching system that pairs donors and recipients who may not even live in the same state.
For donors, like my friend Mike, who donated for me; Cherie, who I met in New Richmond; Amber, who I met in Kenosha; and Mary, who I met in Kaukauna, the surgery is simple and the recovery is quick. But the difference you make in the life of someone else is profound and lasting.
There’s a lot that divides us these days, but thankfully this isn’t one of them. March is Kidney Awareness Month, so, please, take some time to think, talk with your loved ones and consider becoming a living kidney donor. And if you see me somewhere across our great state, come up, say hi and tell me your story. It will make my day.
Ben Voelkel is a candidate for lieutenant governor and a former senior aide to U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. He resides in Brookfield. | 2022-03-24T15:31:41Z | www.jsonline.com | I suffered kidney failure at age 32. Consider becoming a living donor. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/03/24/suffered-kidney-failure-age-32-consider-becoming-living-donor/9459356002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/03/24/suffered-kidney-failure-age-32-consider-becoming-living-donor/9459356002/ |
Firefighter OK after suffering minor injury at Oakton Road duplex fire in the town of Delafield
TOWN OF DELAFIELD - A structure fire sent a firefighter to the hospital with minor injuries early March 23.
Lake Country Fire & Rescue responded about 9 a.m. to a structure fire at a two-family duplex at N19 W28233 Oakton Road, according to Lake Country Fire & Rescue Chief Matt Fennig. Only one side of the duplex was occupied at the time of the fire. All occupants were able to get out before firefighters arrived.
Crews found heavy smoke coming from the rear of the building and an active fire in the basement that was quickly extinguished.
Fennig said the injured firefighter was taken to the hospital for evaluation, treated and released.
The home is estimated to have sustained $150,000 worth of damage and was deemed uninhabitable. The displaced occupant is staying with family, Fennig said.
In addition to Lake Country Fire & Rescue, firefighters responded from the village of Vernon, village of Waukesha, town of Lisbon, city of Pewaukee, village of Hartland, city of Waukesha, Merton Community Fire Department and the Kettle Moraine Fire District. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department also assisted at the scene.
The city and town of Brookfield fire departments provided change-of-quarters apparatus and personnel to cover the Lake Country service area during the incident.
Drew Dawson can be reached at ddawson@jrn.com or (262) 289-1324. | 2022-03-24T17:54:41Z | www.jsonline.com | Firefighter OK after minor injury at Delafield duplex fire | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/24/firefighter-ok-after-minor-injury-delafield-duplex-fire/7152327001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/24/firefighter-ok-after-minor-injury-delafield-duplex-fire/7152327001/ |
Milwaukee's Best Bloody contest returning with in-person Bloody Mary samplings, beer chasers and more
Bloody Mary fans (aka most of Milwaukee), listen up. The 10th annual Milwaukee's Best Bloody contest is returning to an in-person event in April, according to a Thursday news release from the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation.
The event, which serves as a fundraiser for the Wisconsin bleeding disorders community, is scheduled for April 24 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street.
"Milwaukee bartenders showcase their signature Bloody Mary recipes while guests enjoy beer chasers, appetizers and vote for their favorite bloody," the news release said.
Related:Made-for-selfies: New Bloody Mary sculpture celebrates Sobelman's famous drink
Bars and restaurants that will be at this year's event include Café Hollander, Crafty Cow, Elsie Mae’s Canning and Pies, Matty's Bar and Grille, Oggie's Kitchen and Bar, Point Burger Bar, Smoke Creek BBQ, Timber Hill Winery and Walker's Pint.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year's installment was held as a "to go" version, in which participants picked up a box of Bloodys, then voted for their favorite online.
The 2021 best overall winner was Matty’s and first runner up was Elsie Mae’s.
A variety of ticket and package options are available for this year's event. General admission ($48) includes entrance at 11:30 a.m., unlimited Bloody sampling and appetizers. VIP tickets ($75) include early entrance at 10:30 a.m., unlimited Bloody sampling, appetizers and reserved seating in a VIP area.
There are also designated driver general admission tickets ($20) that include entrance at 11:30 a.m., non-alcoholic beverages and appetizers; and DD VIP tickets ($30) that include early entrance at 10:30 a.m., non-alcoholic Bloodys and beverages, reserved seating and appetizers in the VIP lounge.
Proceeds from the event will help support programs such as Camp Klotty Pine, Family Camp, the Wisconsin Bleeding Disorders Conference, Wisconsin Legislative Day, educational scholarships and emergency patient financial assistance, according to the news release.
"In addition to funds raised to support our local programs and services, GLHF is part of a national awareness campaign to help the estimated 1-2% of the population who have a bleeding disorder get a diagnosis," the news release said.
The event runs until 3 p.m. and attendees must be at least 21 years old.
For more information on the contest or to purchase tickets, visit glhf.org/event/milwaukees-best-bloody-2. | 2022-03-24T17:54:53Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee's Best Bloody Mary contest returning in April for 10th year | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/24/milwaukees-best-bloody-mary-contest-returning-april-2022-10th-year/7152293001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/24/milwaukees-best-bloody-mary-contest-returning-april-2022-10th-year/7152293001/ |
Milwaukee's SistaStrings perform on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' with Allison Russell
Followers of the Milwaukee music scene have long known sisters Chauntee and Monique Ross were among the most talented musicians in the city.
Beyond playing as their own duo SistaStrings, they've recorded and performed with a variety of Milwaukee artists, from singer-songwriters Peter Mulvey and Mike Mangione, to rappers Klassik and IshDARR.
Wednesday night, they got to showcase their skills for a national audience, supporting singer-songwriter Allison Russell on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
The sisters — Monique plays cello, Chauntee plays violin — moved to Nashville last year and quickly found substantial work touring with Russell, including shows at the Ryman Auditorium and at Brandi Carlile's Girls Just Wanna festival in Mexico, where they jammed with Carlile, Yola and Sheryl Crow.
And now they got to perform on national TV for the first time, lending Russell support on strings and with backing vocals for a rousing rendition of "4th Day Prayer."
You can watch the performance below. And while Russell doesn't have any Milwaukee dates lined up yet, it's only a matter of time before one of Nashville's fastest-rising stars makes her way to town. | 2022-03-24T17:55:05Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee's SistaStrings performed on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/03/24/milwaukees-sistastrings-performed-jimmy-kimmel-live-with-allison-russell/7153001001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/03/24/milwaukees-sistastrings-performed-jimmy-kimmel-live-with-allison-russell/7153001001/ |
The popular PufferFish tiki bar, formerly behind Lost Whale, is popping up in the Third Ward on Friday
Remember the popular tiki bar that popped up behind Bay View's Lost Whale during the pandemic? It's about to pop up again. This time, in the Third Ward.
PufferFish is doing a pop-up event at Interval inside MARN Art + Culture Hub, 191 N. Broadway, from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday. PufferFish creator John "JC" Cunningham is hoping this will be the first of many.
The PufferFish pop-up menu will feature five "signature takes" on tiki classics, he said, including quintessential tropical drinks such as a Mai Tai, Painkiller and Zombie.
Another will be what PufferFish calls the Vicious Virgin No. 3, infused with rum and tequila.
The pop-up's house staple, The PufferFish, will also be available. Cunningham described it as a riff on a classic gin cocktail called The Saturn.
"We wanted to showcase gin and tequila in really cool ways and show people that a tropical bar doesn't have to be just rum and pineapple," he said. "It can be a whole lot more."
Cocktails will cost around $10 to $12.
Interval will also be serving up beverages and bites, including pork belly musubi and smoked sirloin sliders.
Cunningham came up with the original plans for PufferFish in a notebook about three or four years ago, he said. He envisioned it as a speakeasy in the back of a fancy craft cocktail bar with a hidden door to enter it.
A version of it was brought to life for the first time in a tent behind Lost Whale as a way to help the bar get back on its feet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cunningham has been bartending there for years.
The pop-up ended up running for about a year and four months. Since it closed at the end of October, Cunningham said people have been reaching out to the PufferFish Instagram account daily, asking when it's reopening or what the plans are for it.
"There's always been a desire to kind of move it around the city and the desire to continue to bring the joy of tropical escapism," Cunningham said. | 2022-03-24T17:55:11Z | www.jsonline.com | PufferFish tiki bar popping up at Milwaukee Third Ward MARN Interval | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/food/drinks/2022/03/24/pufferfish-tiki-bar-popping-up-milwaukee-third-ward-marn-interval/7147727001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/food/drinks/2022/03/24/pufferfish-tiki-bar-popping-up-milwaukee-third-ward-marn-interval/7147727001/ |
Village of Weston finds 'forever chemicals' in drinking water, shuts down two drinking wells
The Village of Weston is the latest central Wisconsin community forced to take action after "forever chemicals" were found in its drinking water supply.
The village announced Thursday that it shut off two of its six drinking water wells, after testing for PFAS showed elevated levels of the compounds flowing into its water treatment plant.
Keith Donner, the Village Administrator, said the wells were taken offline last week, immediately following seeing the results of the voluntary testing. Additional testing will be conducted in the coming weeks to ensure the results were correct.
The results don't violate any current standards, but action is being taken because the numbers exceed the recommended health limits set forth by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Health Services, Donner said.
"The Village of Weston is not in violation of standards, but is taking action to protect the health of its customers," he said. "And the utility is working on long and short term solutions."
Residents can continue to consume tap water as normal, because the impacted wells are already offline, Donner said.
Josh Swenson, the Weston Water Utility director, said the process of installing two new wells is already underway, with bids being accepted by the village for construction. The village is also looking at a way to blend the water from the impacted wells, which could lower PFAS levels below the 20 parts per trillion recommended standard.
Swenson also noted that the current water treatment plant has pipelines already installed for granulated activated carbon systems to filter the water, and will work to procure the filters when possible.
The village's testing follows the discovery in February that Wausau had elevated levels of the compounds in all of its wells.
The city of Wausau will soon provide filtration systems to residents in the form of water pitchers, allowing those concerned about PFAS to filter their water before they drink or cook with it.
MORE: Here's what you should know about how to remove 'forever chemicals' from your drinking water
PFAS have also been detected in Rib Mountain, prompting the village last year to shut down one of its municipal wells.
Rothschild also announced in February that it found elevated levels of PFAS in its drinking water system, forcing the shutdown of one of its wells, which showed a level of PFAS slightly above the current recommended standard of 20 parts per trillion. However, the village announced that after actions taken by the Rothschild Water Utility, a second test showed that levels of the compound dropped below the 20 parts per trillion, meaning that the well may be used again due to the demand for water. The village indicated that bringing the well back online may cause elevated levels of PFAS to show again, but did not offer any further information.
Kyle Burton, the field operations director of drinking water and groundwater for the DNR, said investigations into all of the PFAS contaminations in the central part of the state are underway. It's a possibility that all of them could be related, he said.
"We're seeing a lot of these in the central Wisconsin metro area, and there may be a reason to look at the bigger picture here and see if and how these situations can be connected," Burton said. "I think that's on all of our minds."
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time.
MORE:Here's what you should know about PFAS, the 'forever contaminants' being identified in more locations across Wisconsin
The chemicals aren't regulated by the federal government and the state only has recommended standards, though formal standards are in the works, particularly for PFOA and PFOS, two of the most well-researched compounds in the PFAS family. The proposed rules would establish a standard of 20 parts per trillion in drinking water, and create rules regarding testing at water utilities across the state.
The discovery in Weston also follows the decision by the policy-setting arm of the DNR, the Natural Resources Board, to not set standards for PFAS in groundwater. Weston relies on groundwater for its drinking water supply, as do nearly one million other Wisconsin residents.
The board set standards for surface waters, such as lakes and rivers, as well as drinking water, though members went against the advice of health experts from the Department of Health Services to raise the standard from 20 parts per trillion to 70 parts per trillion. | 2022-03-24T17:55:17Z | www.jsonline.com | Weston finds 'forever chemicals' in drinking water, closes 2 wells | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/24/weston-finds-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-closes-2-wells/7151716001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/24/weston-finds-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-closes-2-wells/7151716001/ |
Custer Stadium renamed for Milwaukee's only World Cup star Jimmy Banks, who launched city youth league
Milwaukee's own World Cup soccer star Jimmy Banks, who passed away at age 54 in 2019, will be honored in the renaming of Milwaukee Public Schools’ Custer Stadium, where he once played.
MPS school board members voted unanimously to support the name change Thursday for the stadium on 46th Street and Fairmount Avenue across from Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education, formerly Custer High.
Banks grew up in the Westlawn public housing development on Milwaukee's north side, where he started learning to play soccer through a Salvation Army program. At Custer High School, he became an All-American player.
After playing for UWM, Banks joined the Milwaukee Wave in 1987 and made it to the World Cup in 1990 as a starting player.
Banks then returned to Milwaukee to give more city students the opportunity to learn the sport, launching a soccer league at the recently shuttered LaVarnway Boys & Girls Club.
"Once I reached the professional level, then I had the opportunity to make a mark, and that's one way that I look at it," Banks said on a television show.
Banks also started the still-running Simba Sport Club and coached for the Milwaukee School of Engineering. In 2019, he died of stomach cancer at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital.
The request to rename the stadium came from Timothy Clements, a soccer coach who said the idea had the backing of the local soccer community. Board members said they received dozens of emails and letters in support.
At a previous committee meeting, Banks' son, Jimmy Christopher, expressed thanks on behalf of the family for remembering his father.
“He was a guy that really wasn’t about the credit and the fact that people are still remembering him years after he passed is truly a blessing for our family," he said.
Rob Harrington, Banks' assistant coach at MSOE, said Banks' work as a coach surpassed even his career as a player.
"Jimmy left his lasting mark of humility, kindness, determination and unrelenting love for the kids of Milwaukee," Harrington said. | 2022-03-25T02:06:08Z | www.jsonline.com | Custer Stadium renamed to honor Milwaukee's World Cup star Jimmy Banks | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/03/24/custer-stadium-renamed-honor-milwaukees-world-cup-star-jimmy-banks/7153670001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/03/24/custer-stadium-renamed-honor-milwaukees-world-cup-star-jimmy-banks/7153670001/ |
With the page now turned on the lockout, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio looking ahead to a promising 2022 season
PHOENIX – With the doom and gloom of baseball’s offseason now in the rear-view mirror, Milwaukee Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio made sure to extend an olive branch to his team in his season-opening remarks Thursday morning at American Family Fields of Phoenix.
The lockout, which lasted 99 days, pushed back the start of spring training and caused the rescheduling of the first two series of the regular season for all 30 teams. But most damaging, it widened the already mile-wide rift between Major League Baseball and its players.
"First of all, I think everybody is really happy to be back and at it," he said when asked by reporters to relate his message. "(Commissioner) Rob (Manfred) talked about trying to take a step toward the players. It's interesting; many of the owners have really good relations with their players and their teams.
"We’ve got to do better at not having a skirmish every five years. That’s been my focus, and I think, the focus of a number of other owners, as well."
Attanasio, whose ownership group assumed control of the Brewers in 2004, also acknowledged the labor strife has once again spilled over to the fans – the lifeblood of a small market team like Milwaukee, which has established itself as a relative attendance powerhouse.
"Whenever you have a situation like you have to start with the fans, that's the most important relationship we all have. If we don't have fans, we don't have a game," Attanasio said.
"Probably the best part of bringing players here is that you're always playing in front of a full house or close to it. We're top 10 in attendance at home, almost always, I think eight years out of 10. And we're often top-10 in attendance on the road.
"Our team in Milwaukee starts with our fans. They support us year in and year out. From what we can see from ticket sales, the fans are really happy we're back, and we expect to be in the top 10 in attendance again this year."
Attanasio is one of the game's most involved owners, sitting on five committees in all including the labor policy committee.
He took part in the negotiations in their earlier stages, and aside from a new collective bargaining agreement finally being hammered out he mentioned the rules changes that have been enacted and are still being discussed as a major positive for the game.
"We want to try to improve the product on the field for everybody, players in what they play, fans in what they watch," he said. "And we have a real opportunity to do that now. But we want to do that constructively working with the players to and we talked about making the game better.
"We want to bring the game back to where it was at in terms of pace of play."
Milwaukee entered the offseason without much heavy lifting to do considering most of its top talent was already under team control. President of baseball operations David Stearns did pull off a major trade for rightfielder Hunter Renfroe just prior to business being shut down, however.
Even still, Attanasio was excited with the flurry of activity that overtook baseball once the lockout had officially ended. The team struck relatively quickly with a couple mid-level signings in reliever Brad Boxberger and designated hitter-outfielder Andrew McCutchen.
"Immediately to have all these free-agent signings, David (Stearns) is calling me," he said. "We had three big names we were hoping for, and we got one in Andrew McCutchen.
"I mean, I was so excited I just want to keep talking. It's like, 'I've got to go to work. I've got to talk to all these teams about possible trades,' and things like that."
No, Attanasio wouldn't spill the beans on the other two potential free agents.
But he did once again answer the budget questions – as in, what does it look like now that nine of the team's 10 arbitration-eligible players have settled (for just shy of a combined $50 million) and is there room to make additional moves in-season should the Brewers contend again as expected.
"Whenever we have a question on budgeting, somebody is going to say, open your wallet and just spend as much as you want to get guys. It doesn't work that way," he said.
"We always leave room to do things at midseason. The team will dictate whether we look to add or not add midseason, but we always have to leave room. Frankly, you could have injuries, or you may have an opportunity you want to take advantage of.
"When I was buying the team 18 years ago, you looked at teams that got into trouble, it's teams that that had been spending and then had to pull back. And so one of my goals was to always compete. And we have really always competed."
With pitching that he called "off the charts," Attanasio gave the nod to this year's version of the Brewers as the best to date.
"David was telling me this may be the best team we've had in his tenure, which would probably mean for me, other than 2011, it's the best team I've had," he said. "And I can tell you, 1,000%, this is the best group of athletes that we've had in 18 years.
"This team knows what it's like to go to the playoffs. The players talk about taking the next step.
"And that's the mission this year."
The day after Corbin Burnes was hit around in his Cactus League debut, the same thing happened to Brandon Woodruff at American Family Fields.
Not that it's a big deal, of course, as this obviously is the time for pitchers to be ramping up their workloads and honing their arsenals.
But the results can still sting, as Woodruff said following Milwaukee's third straight loss.
"It kind of stunk," he said after allowing six hits (including a homer), four earned runs and a walk with two strikeouts in three innings.
BOX SCORE:Diamondbacks 10, Brewers 3
"That's kind of part of it. It's just all about feeling healthy, feeling strong. Body feels good and I think that's an important part. Then, some of the execution and stuff comes along with that as you get more game reps.
"With the different type of spring training, it's been different in terms of the shortness. In the normal spring training you kind of have the slow ramp up; you come into this one and you're ready for multiples, 3-4 innings, and not necessarily getting into that game competition.
"I've just got to tighten everything up and go from there."
Josh Hader pitched an inning and struck out the side, leaving him with two and six whiffs in his two spring innings to date.
"He's got a couple other things to accomplish," manager Craig Counsell said. "But he looks great, his delivery looks great, he feels great. We've got to get him out there a little more regularly and back to back before the season starts.
"But, good start so far."
Non-roster invitees Jonathan Singleton and David Dahl each homered to lead a nine-hit attack for the Brewers, who travel to face the Oakland A's in Mesa at 3:05 p.m. | 2022-03-25T02:06:20Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers owner Mark Attanasio looking to 2022 season with lockout over | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/24/brewers-owner-mark-attanasio-looking-2022-season-lockout-over/7151385001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/24/brewers-owner-mark-attanasio-looking-2022-season-lockout-over/7151385001/ |
A brewery is slated to open at Old Germantown, a 120-acre farm in Germantown, in April
Old Germantown, which opened its farmstead cafe and sausage shop in November 2020, will now feature a brewery.
Two kinds of beer will premiere April 14 during restaurant hours.
Old Germantown is on a 120-acre farm at W148 N12696 Pleasant View Drive, Germantown. The restaurant and facility are designed to provide history and a glimpse into the lives of farmers, said owner Scott Sommer.
Beer is no exception, said Sommer, who owns the place with his wife, Georgene.
"Beer wasn't always for entertainment," he said. He said that at one time, it was a staple that wives often made for their husband farmers.
"It provided the physical calories for the physical labor farmers did," he explained.
Sommer said the beer will be made with a lot of local ingredients, just as it was when farmers harvested the land in the 19th century.
Sommer said the Old Germantown beer label was brewed by the Milwaukee-Germantown Brewery until about 80 years ago. The old brewery was about three miles west of Old Germantown.
"We hope that an experience to our farmstead includes a feel of that seasonal food and drink offerings. They can remind older generations and connect younger generations to those rural Wisconsin traditions of yesterday," said Sommer.
Sommer bought the brewery equipment from Titletown Brewing in Green Bay, soon after the brewery built its new facility.
"We were very inspired by the Titletown board that insisted that their brewery be sold to another Wisconsin-based brewery that promoted a community place like they set out to do in 1996," said Sommer. The equipment can brew up to 450 gallons in one batch.
Old Germantown offerings
Old Germantown features pizza made on a wood-burning stove. It also has a smokehouse that makes pork, barbecue, smoked chicken, ham, bacon, turkey and pastrami. Many of the sausages are 100% chicken.
The farm, which the Sommers bought in 1989, existed before Wisconsin became a state, said Sommer. It produced produce and vegetables that were sold to Milwaukee markets.
"The original farmers came from Europe with a strong collaborative spirit," said Sommer. "I understand that they were fleeing a rather feudal place, full of economic uncertainty combined with intolerant religious mandates. They would be part of the original founding families of the historical Trinity Lutheran Church in Freistadt."
Old Germantown's feedlot patio opened last summer. What used to be the area where the beef cattle came to eat is now a 100=foot-long outdoors dining table set behind the barn, which was built in the 1860s.
The brewery's hours are the same as the restaurant's: 4 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Customer orders can also be picked up by appointment.
For the summer season, Sommer said he plans to expand the restaurant hours.
For more information on Old Germantown, visit oldgermantown.com | 2022-03-25T13:38:05Z | www.jsonline.com | A brewery is slated to open at Old Germantown on April 1 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/germantown/2022/03/25/brewery-slated-open-old-germantown-april-1/7136143001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/germantown/2022/03/25/brewery-slated-open-old-germantown-april-1/7136143001/ |
Wauwatosa will place a Ukrainian flag at Hart Park on Friday
Wauwatosa officials approved a resolution to place a Ukrainian flag at one of the city's busiest parks on Friday.
Ald. Joel Tilleson, who proposed the resolution, hopes the gesture brings more attention to the besieged nation of Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia.
"It's clearly an issue that everyone can get behind," Tilleson said.
Tilleson, who wrote the resolution with co-sponsors Ald. Rob Gustafson, Ernst Franzen and Meagan O'Reilly, said he thinks there's a misconception that people at the local level can't do anything about what's happening in Ukraine.
"That's not true. We can do something, and we can make a statement, and this is probably the best way for us to make a statement expressing our support for not only the Ukrainian people, but democracy in general," Tilleson said.
The flag will be placed at Hart Park in Wauwatosa during a ceremony at noon Friday.
A meaningful gesture
The gesture means a lot to Valentyn Potapenko, who will be at the ceremony. Potapenko lives in Wauwatosa now, but he was born and raised in Brovary, Ukraine.
"It means a lot to me," Potapenko said. "It's a simple yellow and blue flag, but it means a lot."
Potapenko moved to America in 1995, but he still has several family members who live in Ukraine, whom he visits often. He has stayed in touch with them, but the seriousness of what was happening didn't hit home until Russian troops invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
More:War puts Ukraine's farmers in peril, threatens world food supplies
More:A Menomonee Falls business owner is making and selling soap to benefit Ukraine
"The first week, I was kind of paralyzed as to what I can do here and what they're able to do there," Potapenko said.
Potapenko quickly decided that he wanted to organize financial relief efforts for families in Ukraine.
He quickly started a website — ukrainemke.com — and he's already collected more than $38,000 in donations that have benefited over 20 families in Ukraine.
Potapenko is donating 100% of the funds he receives directly to families, who are using the money to buy medicine, food and other essentials.
He's encouraged when he sees residents place Ukraine flags outside their homes, as several neighbors who live near him in Wauwatosa have done.
"It means not just a lot to me, but I put those pictures on Facebook and Instagram, and people in Ukraine are just absolutely amazed by the support they're getting here," he said.
Franzen, a co-sponsor of the resolution, said his mother and aunt grew up in a German settlement in Ukraine.
"What our support is for is for the victims of the war," Franzen said of the resolution and the raising of the flag.
"It's in sympathy with the victims of this war," he added.
Other gestures of support
Similar moves have been made across the area in recent weeks.
More than a dozen Milwaukee landmarks and buildings were lit up in blue and yellow earlier in March.
Milwaukee's Hoan Bridge was lit with the flag's colors, and rallies have been held across the area and state to call out Russia's actions against Ukraine. Many are waving the flag in support.
Earlier in March, about 75 people gathered at a busy Wauwatosa intersection to call for peace. Many held signs in support of the country or waved Ukrainian flags after parishioners walked several blocks from Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Holy Trinity Church in Wauwatosa.
Meanwhile, sales for the Ukraine flag have increased dramatically across the area and nation.
The resolution
The text of the resolution says:
"Whereas, on February 24, 2022, armed forces of the Russian Federation crossed the Ukrainian border in an unprovoked large-scale invasion of that country; and
"Whereas, the invasion has displaced over two million refugees and threatens to become the largest war on the European continent since World War II; and
"Whereas, Ukraine is an independent country, entitled to defend its sovereignty; and
"Whereas, the promotion of democracy abroad is critical to the protection of ideals such as freedom and civil liberties; and
"Whereas, the official position from the United States State Department reads as follows: 'The United States reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters. The U.S.-Ukraine relationship serves as a cornerstone for security, democracy, and human rights in Ukraine and the broader region.'; and
"Whereas, the City of Wauwatosa supports the position of the United States government in its stand with Ukraine, and its people stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, our brothers and sisters in independence and democracy; and
"Whereas, funds are available from Small Cell Permit Revenue to immediately install two additional flag poles at Hart Park, one of which will be utilized to fly the flag of the State of Wisconsin and one of which may be utilized temporarily for the Ukrainian flag, and in the future for such other flags as shall be authorized by a policy to be promulgated by the Common Council;
"Now, therefore, be it resolved the Common Council hereby directs city staff to obtain a commemorative national flag of Ukraine in an expeditious manner; and
"Be it further resolved that the Common Council directs city staff to commemoratively fly the national flag of Ukraine at Hart Park for 180 days or until further Council direction." | 2022-03-25T13:38:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Wauwatosa will place Ukraine flag at Hart Park | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/03/25/wauwatosa-place-ukraine-flag-hart-park/7143472001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/03/25/wauwatosa-place-ukraine-flag-hart-park/7143472001/ |
WEST ALLIS - Pandemic nesters rejoice: Milwaukee's Home and Garden Show is back for its 96th year, and ready to inspire homeowners who have become a little tired of their all-too-familiar spaces.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the nation's longest-running home and garden show opens Friday at the Wisconsin State Fair Expo Hall. More than 350 vendors and exhibits will be on display for the show's 10-day run.
Show organizers say homeowners are hungry to transform their surroundings.
“Over the last two years, people have had a lot of time to think about their indoor and outdoor spaces,” Amanda Falk, show director of the Home & Garden Show, said.
“Whether it was creating pseudo home offices, classrooms or backyard respites, the pandemic forced us to reimagine our spaces," she said.
It's the little things ... and a fountain
This year's show is whimsically dubbed "Gnome Sweet Home," paying homage to a classic garden staple in a new age of home decorating and consumer needs.
The pandemic, as the pandemic does, changed homeowner priorities. The show seeks to reflect that, said Mike Ruzicka, president of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors.
While during the early days of the pandemic many nesters sought to make the indoors bearable, the focus has now shifted to creating more livable outdoor spaces.
"Outdoor living, even in Wisconsin, the emphasis on it has grown dramatically," Ruzicka said.
"The landscapers have been a lot busier. People are going beyond just a patio or a picnic table ... they move their kitchens and living rooms outside."
Jerry Schmitt, buyer for Wisconsin-based Stein's Gardens and Gifts, said sale are being driven by individuals' ideas of their homes rather than by specific looks or trends.
"It's about creating feeling ... there's probably no right way or wrong way to do it ... everybody is their own designer," Schmitt said.
Specific new trends for 2022 include solar panels and solar-powered decorations, exploration of environmentally-friendly products like rain barrels and natural pesticides, gnomes, small indoor and outdoor plants and waterscapes.
"Everyone wants a water feature," said Dean Pepito, founder and owner of Wales-based waterscape company Aquatica. "They want to create their own sanctuary in their backyard."
Related:Milwaukee area home and garden events in spring 2022
'Gnome Sweet Home'
The show's theme this year is "Gnome Sweet Home," a salute to gardeners' bearded friends.
Aquatica is showcasing a 2,500-square-foot gnome-themed water garden. Guests can also participate in a scavenger hunt with "Gnorm" the Garden Gnome, and winners will be eligible for garden-themed prizes. The Wisconsin Garden Railway Association created a tiny village, fit for a gnome, inside a model train layout.
Gnomes may be back in style, but they're nothing new. As early as the 1600s, gnomes were a staple in yards in Europe.
They represented good luck, and presided over vegetables and flowers alike as guardians against evil spirits.
There are several different origin stories for gnomes and similar creatures around the world, Gnomes as we know them today were first produced in Germany in the 1800s.
Little rosy-cheeked men with beards and pointy red hats have since immigrated to United States' gardens, looking after our backyard landscapes
At Minor's Garden Center, a Milwaukee garden-needs icon for 73 years, gnomes are back in style.
"It's a huge category," said Brian Uebelacker, general manager and product buyer for Minor's.
"Back in the day, you had your basic four or five gnomes," Schmitt said.
"Now there's no limit ... You can't go wrong with a gnome."
The Home and Garden Show will take place March 25 through April 3, but is closed Monday and Tuesday, at the Expo Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave. in West Allis.
Full hours, which differ daily, can be found here.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for seniors (purchased on site) and children 12 and under are free. Veterans, frontline workers and emergency personnel are also free.
Parking is available through Gates 1 and 4 in the park, and costs $10 per car, $5 per motorcycle.
Wheelchairs are not available on site. | 2022-03-25T13:38:36Z | www.jsonline.com | Cooped up homeowners expect to find inspiration at Home show | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2022/03/25/cooped-up-homeowners-expect-find-inspiration-home-show/9454513002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2022/03/25/cooped-up-homeowners-expect-find-inspiration-home-show/9454513002/ |
Childhood friends and unlikely pros, the Milwaukee Admirals' Cole Smith and Mitch McLain enjoy being teammates again
You probably could fit all the professional hockey players from Brainerd, Minnesota, into one good-sized ice fishing shanty.
That seems appropriate.
Mitch McLain and Cole Smith might be there already anyway.
“Small town,” McLain said. “So everybody knows a little bit about each other.”
“Sandy and Bartholomaus were probably the first,” Smith said. “My uncle was probably one of them, Sandy Smith, and (Keith) Bartholomaus was a goalie. He played pro, right?”
Scratch that. Although Sandy Smith played in the International Hockey League and in Europe in the 1990s, Bartholomaus peaked at the NCAA Division I level from 1993-96 at Northern Michigan.
“Then we had a group of guys that we played high school with,” McLain said, “so probably (from) 2010 grads to Cole (who) was 2014, we had a group of probably four guys who played pro.”
Although everyone from Brainerd's pro hockey fraternity might know one another, no two are as close as McLain and Smith, who grew up together, went to the Little League World Series together, trained together in their college offseason and have continued to hunt and fish together.
More:Away from his wife and out of the NHL, Rocco Grimaldi leads the Milwaukee Admirals while working on his master's
As improbable as it sounds for childhood friends to both make it to the pros, these two share ice time with the Milwaukee Admirals at the second-highest level in North America. Their lockers at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena are just three spots apart.
“That’s a very rare situation,” said Admirals coach Karl Taylor, who has been happy to have both this season. “Those guys, they train hard, they push each other well.
“Smitty’s game has improved drastically, his puck skills. Obviously he’s played six, seven games in the NHL, and he’s fought for spots and jobs there. And Mitch has done a really good job here supporting us but also he’s done some hard things. He’s fought some really tough guys in this league. When we needed some momentum change, Mitch has taken it upon himself and we appreciate what he does.”
Tom Smith coached high school football and youth hockey, and he and Shawn McLain coached youth baseball together. They also played softball, pretty competitively, their sons say. That’s where Cole and Mitch met before they even got to grade school.
They were inextricably linked through sports, even if their two-year age gap meant Smith, now 26, was just a pewee when McLain was a bantam.
“We played youth baseball together, 10U,” Smith said. “We ended up going to the Little League World Series. I remember it was regionals, I can’t remember what team we were playing but they had this big pitcher. Ten years old. They called him Big Papa or something. He just threw absolute gas down the middle. He was big, a big thrower.
“And (McLain’s) first at-bat, he steps up … right over the fence, gone. That set the tone for the rest of the game. That’s one I remember. He was 10, I was 8.”
Smith’s memory of his own standout performance isn’t as impressive.
“Mine was in the World Series, the first at-bat,” he said. “Took one right off the ear.
“My dad was on the bench, kind of dugout benches. It hit me and he freaked out and stood up as fast as he could and gave himself a concussion pretty much. Couldn’t even get out there.”
Both smiled at the story some 18 years later.
“One of the coolest things for us was growing up at the ballpark with our dads and the Little League World Series, having them coach both of us,” McLain said. “They were both our coaches.
“I have a picture of Cole and I standing on the first base line for introductions and both of our dads are giving us knucks coming through the handshake line. That’s a picture I have in our house, and it’s a pretty cool one.”
Both became three-sport athletes in high school, teaming in football in the fall, hockey in the winter and then Smith running track and McLain playing baseball in the spring.
McLain went to Vancouver for juniors, playing with the Langley Rivermen of the BCHL before landing at Bowling Green State University. Then Smith went to Manitoba and the Steinbach Pistons of the MJHL and subsequently the University of North Dakota.
“For me, being older and moving to pro and watching Cole go through how good North Dakota was and what he was chasing down, I kind of got to live through him and how good they were, chasing a national title,” McLain said. “So I was always watching Cole on the side.”
“That’s funny he says that because back when we were younger, obviously when you’re younger two years is kind of a big difference,” Smith said as they took part in a joint interview. “So I was always watching him and his hockey career. Even football. He’s always someone I looked up to through my youth, so for him to say that is cool.”
In the summers they returned to Brainerd and skated together and pushed each other in workouts.
Neither thinks of himself as a naturally gifted hockey player, and neither heard his name called in the NHL draft. Consequently they credit each other for having a significant role in pushing each other through an improbable climb through youth, high school, juniors and college hockey to the American Hockey League.
Although McLain and Smith are pushing for opportunities to advance in the game – McLain is a center, Smith a left wing – they have never looked at their situation as competition for a job.
“Honestly I think it’s how we got here,” McLain said. “We’ve pushed each other at everything our whole lives in everything we do. You remain friends through that because you become so close.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re playing pickleball or basketball, or fishing. We’re competitive and we want to best the other person, but it comes from a good place where we want each other to succeed as well.”
McLain joined the Admirals on an AHL contract in the offseason after three years with the Iowa Wild, and Smith is on a two-way deal after signing with the parent Nashville Predators last season as an undrafted free agent. Last season the two played against each other professionally for the first time when Smith skated for the Chicago Wolves while the Admirals were on hiatus and McLain for the Wild.
“Their team last year took it to us pretty good,” McLain said. “But the cool thing for us is how we’ve made it being so competitive and … how we got there. We both knew how hard each other worked.
“And it was cool last year when the Iowa Wild did have success and I got to score a goal and Cole and I scored in the same game a couple of times. So for our parents to share that, for us to score in the same game was pretty special.”
Smith has 14 goals and 17 assists in 46 games with the Admirals this season and has played eight NHL games with Nashville. McLain has 13 goals and four assists in 61 games.
After a weekend series in Texas and a game Tuesday at Rockford, the Admirals play five games at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena from April 1-9. Nine of the final 12 regular-season games are at home.
Whatever happens in the future, whether Smith or McLain can make it to the NHL and stick there, both will take fond memories from their time together as pros the same as they did from the Little League field.
“There’s a lot of guys throughout the league from college that I know and I played with, so that’s kind of cool,” Smith said. “But there’s not really anyone else I’ve grown up with playing, even through high school.
“I know in Minnesota it might be a little more common, but from a smaller town for that to happen, last year it was pretty cool against each other. That doesn’t happen often either. And then this year to be able to play on the same team with him is incredible.” | 2022-03-25T13:38:48Z | www.jsonline.com | Admirals' Cole Smith, Mitch McLain are lifelong friends, pro teammates | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/hockey/2022/03/25/admirals-cole-smith-mitch-mclain-lifelong-friends-pro-teammates/7147899001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/hockey/2022/03/25/admirals-cole-smith-mitch-mclain-lifelong-friends-pro-teammates/7147899001/ |
The commission considered three other candidates: Rolando Ramos, Kevin Carini and interim Chief Thomas Liebenthal.
Liebenthal held the interim position after Peter Nimmer left his position as Shorewood police chief to take a similar role in Brown Deer in September.
Village President Ann McKaig thanked the community for its effort in selecting a new police chief. She said Liebenthal has provided "exemplary leadership as interim chief."
"He has engaged members of the Shorewood Police Department to take on leadership roles to deliver excellent service and increased communication," said McKaig.
"We will take the next month to consolidate what we have learned collectively over the past year so that we can welcome Ms. Wurth into a collaborative space to build the relationships needed for a smooth transition and continued growth," she added.
According to Wurth’s candidate profile on the Shorewood website:
She started her career with the Milwaukee Police Department, where she became a lieutenant in 2009 and captain in 2015. Wurth retired in 2020 as the commander of District 4.
Wurth is certified by the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards Board as an instructor in multiple disciplines and trained in fair and impartial policing.
She graduated from Marquette University in 2009 with a master's degree in administration of justice. She earned a graduate certificate at Marquette in law enforcement leadership and management.
Wurth has participated in the Future Milwaukee Leadership Program to help “develop, motivate and empower diverse, ethical leaders affecting positive change in greater Milwaukee through progressive civic engagement.”
She earned a graduate certificate in human resource management from Cornell University in 2020 and enrolled in a certificate program for trauma-informed care at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Wurth has graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and the Senior Management Institute for Policing. She is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives.
“Heather advocates achieving trust and legitimacy, strengthening police and community partnerships and building safe communities,” her profile reads. “She is passionate about officer wellness and works as a peer mentor with First Responder Psychological Services, a professional organization providing clinical services, debriefs following critical incidents and wellness checks for multiple police agencies across southeast Wisconsin.”
According to a letter submitted by Wurth for a previous chief position at UWM, she has handled challenges such as “navigating the tragic line of duty death of an officer and an off-duty death of another” with “compassion, understanding, and professionalism.”
While serving as captain with the Milwaukee Police Department, Wurth was the commander for the Mobile Field Force Team, where she led efforts “to reduce and resolve civil disturbance and riotous behavior during local protests” and was “instrumental in the planning for the Democratic National Convention.”
“While assigned to a patrol district (as a Captain of Police), I was actively engaged with, present at, and valued community participation in events to embody my commitment to community engagement, while also expecting and encouraging my supervisors and officers to do the same,” she wrote.
In the letter, Wurth details other roles she’s taken, including assignments at the Internal Affairs Division, the Critical Incident Review Board, Applicant Review Committee and the LBGTQ+ Liaison.
After a swearing in ceremony May 2, Wurth will be the village's 10th police chief.
She declined an interview request for this story. | 2022-03-25T16:53:59Z | www.jsonline.com | Shorewood names Heather Wurth as village's first female police chief | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/shorewood/2022/03/25/shorewood-names-heather-wurth-villages-first-female-police-chief/7142749001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/shorewood/2022/03/25/shorewood-names-heather-wurth-villages-first-female-police-chief/7142749001/ |
Michels family gives $15 million gift to fund rare cancers research at MCW Cancer Center
It was a routine parent-teacher conference for 11-year-old Sophie Michels.
Her grades were perfect, her teachers happy, her parents proud. As the meeting at University Lake School ended, the adults stood while Sophie fell to the floor.
"My memories have definitely faded over the years, which is probably for the best," she said.
At first, the adults thought Sophie might have stumbled. She couldn't move the left side of her body and she couldn't get up. So, her father scooped her up in his arms, raced out with his wife, and dashed to the emergency room where they received the startling news.
Sophie had a rare pediatric brain tumor.
It's 10 years, eight surgeries and several rounds of chemotherapy later and Sophie Michels is a junior at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where she studies business law, plays polo and tries to make the most of every day.
More:A Brookfield family hated the cancer treatment their daughter endured. Their foundation helps scientists research something better.
More:Milwaukee news anchor Suzanne Spencer shares story of her brain tumor in the hope of helping others
Her extended family, which owns and operates the energy and infrastructure company Michels Corp., is profoundly grateful.
On Friday, the Michels Family Foundation announced it was donating $15 million for rare cancers research at MCW Cancer Center.
The center is a collaboration between Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Wisconsin.
The gift — largest ever to the MCW Cancer Center — is designed to accelerate research and advance treatments. It comes from Sophie's parents, Tim and Barbara Michels, and Tim's brothers, Pat, Kevin and Steve Michels and their spouses.
"The whole world is looking at what's happening right here at the medical campus in Milwaukee, the Medical College, Children's, Froedtert," Tim Michels said. "And now we're going to be able to take this cutting-edge research and we're going to be able to do a focus on rare cancers as well."
So-called rare cancers affect fewer than 15 out of 100,000 people each year according to the National Cancer Institute. These cancers don't attract the massive funding from major institutions.
Gustavo Leone, director of the MCW Cancer Center, said around 180 cancer types are classified as rare cancers. While individually they may not affect great numbers, taken together they comprise around 25% of all cancer patient diagnoses.
"We're incredibly privileged to receive such a gift," he said, adding that the funds will allow the center to "identify the best scientists in the country and beyond, and bring them to Milwaukee."
It will also provide what Leone called "state of the art instrumentation" to help researchers in clinical trials.
John Raymond, president and chief executive of the Medical College of Wisconsin, lauded the Michels family members for their generosity.
"It's remarkable that the whole family has decided to invest in Wisconsin and in Milwaukee," he said.
It's Sophie's story that inspired the family.
She was diagnosed with choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC), which grows deep in the brain.
"I knew enough to be aware what was going on and definitely had an appreciation for the treatment I was undergoing," she said.
After her initial diagnosis, she underwent three surgeries at Children's Wisconsin, one to remove the pressure building in her brain and two more to remove the tumor. Rounds of chemo followed.
Sophie was able to return to school several days a month.
"I would go with my bald head and my scar showing," she said. "I would have a wide variety of hats I would put on. But I was never afraid to show my bald head."
She had a wig made up but wore it only once.
"It was too scratchy," she said.
She is not considered cancer free and continues to get scans every six months.
The tumor has returned several times. Sophie has been aided by an innovative endoscopic surgery technique pioneered by surgeon Mark Souweidane in New York. It's less invasive and improves recovery time.
As a result of the work, and hoping others can be helped, Tim and Barbara Michels endowed the Michels Family Professorship in Pediatric Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.
Sophie said she tries to live life to the fullest. She aims to go to law school and eventually join the family business.
She's a leader in her sorority, president and captain of the Babson polo team, and junior class representative for the school's Institute for Family Entrepreneurship.
Polo is her passion. She calls the game "hockey on a horse."
"My message to people is that there's life after cancer," she said.
She said the family's gift can help others.
"My personal goal is to give other people the opportunity to also have a life after cancer," she said. | 2022-03-25T16:54:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Michels family gives $15 million for rare cancers research | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/25/michels-family-gives-15-million-rare-cancers-research/7146967001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/25/michels-family-gives-15-million-rare-cancers-research/7146967001/ |
The union-organizing campaign by Colectivo Coffee Roasters workers has just notched a big victory. The workers now want a contract.
The union-organizing campaign by Colectivo Coffee Roasters Inc.'s workers has notched a big victory.
The National Labor Relations Board issued a final decision that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 was properly elected as the certified bargaining representative for Colectivo's employees.
“The bold and brave workers of Colectivo Coffee really have something to celebrate after the wonderful news out of Washington, D.C., yesterday,” said Local 494 Business Manager Dean A. Warsh in a Friday statement.
The board's ruling came after Colectivo's owners in January asked the NLRB to review the results of the vote by workers to unionize.
The 106-99 vote in favor of forming a union was announced in August. The initial count of votes in April ended in a 99-99 tie. The board opened some challenged ballots for the final tally.
Colectivo said in its NLRB filing that improper ballot solicitation occurred during the vote.
However, the board denied the company's request for a review, with the decision saying Colectivo's filing "raises no substantial issues warranting review."
More:A Wisconsin man took a job at a coffee company and wound up with lung damage. In a landmark verdict, a jury awarded him $5.3 million.
More:Decline in union membership in Wisconsin is the highest in the nation. Scott Walker's Act 10 law is partially responsible.
With the board's final decision, Colectivo's management should begin negotiating a labor contract with the union workers, Warsh said.
“The owners and management of Colectivo Coffee have said numerous times publicly that once the process has run its course to exhaustion, they would bargain in good faith with their workers," Warsh said in a statement.
“We believe, like so many other supportive members of the community, that Colectivo Coffee tastes best when it’s made Union Yes," he said.
Colectivo management didn't have an immediate response to the ruling.
Workers at Colectivo started a campaign in 2020 to form a union.
Colectivo has around 500 employees at its cafes, production and corporate staff. It operates a roasting facility in Riverwest and cafes in Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago areas.
The majority of Colectivo employees who work in the cafes, production, warehouse, roasting and bakery areas will be represented by the union.
Meanwhile, employees at an Oak Creek Starbucks, 8880 Howell Ave., announced in February a union organizing campaign. | 2022-03-25T19:44:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee-based Colectivo Coffee union-organizing effort gets big win | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/25/milwaukee-based-colectivo-coffee-union-organizing-effort-gets-big-win/7167488001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/25/milwaukee-based-colectivo-coffee-union-organizing-effort-gets-big-win/7167488001/ |
It appears the Milwaukee Bucks have found their newest and youngest model.
Well, at least he should be.
During the second quarter of the Bucks game against the Washington Wizards Thursday night, as the broadcast was going to a timeout it zoomed in on two young children both wearing the replica championship rings that were given to the first 10,000 fans at Fiserv Forum.
Some waited hours before the game to make sure they got their hands on one.
We're all thankful these little ones got their rings. The older child was striking a pose with a smile. But then the camera focused on the youngest child. That's when he stole the show.
He proudly displayed the ring on his right hand as if he was a seasoned model. He then cracked a smile that will rival Giannis Antetokounmpo's and then put his fingers up to his chin, as if he was saying to everyone "yeah, I'm the coolest toddler in the arena."
Bucks announcers Marcus Johnson and Lisa Byington loved it as did NBA Twitter. Here were some of the best reactions. | 2022-03-25T19:44:23Z | www.jsonline.com | Twitter reacts to Bucks fan showing off championship ring on broadcast | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/25/twitter-reacts-milwaukee-bucks-fan-showing-off-replica-championship-ring-bally-sports-broadcast/7168561001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/25/twitter-reacts-milwaukee-bucks-fan-showing-off-replica-championship-ring-bally-sports-broadcast/7168561001/ |
A little more than 200 people remain hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wisconsin. This is the lowest number of patients since July, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
The seven-day average of daily cases declined to 315 cases a day, which is the lowest level of cases since July, according to the state Department of Health Services.
The state continues to administer more than 2,000 vaccine doses a day. However, the seven-day average of daily vaccine doses continues to decline.
Seven-day average of daily cases: 315 (down 469 cases from one month ago) | 2022-03-26T03:03:34Z | www.jsonline.com | Roughly 200 people remain hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wisconsin | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/25/roughly-200-people-remain-hospitalized-covid-19-wisconsin/7174665001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/25/roughly-200-people-remain-hospitalized-covid-19-wisconsin/7174665001/ |
Jada Davis grew up on the northside of Milwaukee never thinking she would one day represent the city on a statewide platform, but that will be the case in June.
Davis, 23, last week became the first Black woman to win the Miss Milwaukee pageant.
A Marquette law student, Davis said she wants to be a trailblazer for young girls of color in Milwaukee. "I definitely want to show other young Black and brown girls, they can have both arts and education in their lives and be successful in each of those roles ... somebody has to be the first but there are barriers that need to continue to be broken," Davis told the Journal Sentinel.
Davis advances to the Miss Wisconsin competition in Oshkosh from June 15-18. She said she is looking forward to developing a "sisterhood" with other women representing different areas of the state. The last Miss Milwaukee to become Miss Wisconsin was in 1988 (Jeanne Phieffer from Franksville). Once Miss Wisconsin is crowned, that woman will advance to the Miss America competition.
Davis is not the first Black woman to hold the title of Miss Milwaukee. In 1981, after Miss Milwaukee Keungsuk Kim was crowned Miss Wisconsin, the first runner-up Lora R. Davis (no relation), a Black woman, assumed the title of Miss Milwaukee. But, Jada Davis is the first Black woman to be selected as Miss Milwaukee outright.
Davis attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for her undergraduate degree, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2020. Davis then moved back to her hometown to attend Marquette University Law School, where she is in her second year and hopes to become an entertainment lawyer.
"Growing up I was always an awkward kid and so I always hoped to fit in and I never did," Davis said. "I guess you have to embrace your awkwardness because there's a reason you're not fitting in."
Davis is involved in the Milwaukee community, having served as a law clerk and former dance instructor for the Boys & Girls Club. She also has volunteered for many organizations, including Milwaukee Justice Center, Marquette Volunteer Law Clinic, YWCA, Black Youth Alliance and Unity Gospel House of Prayer.
"To capture the title, Davis showcased her strengths in several phases of competition – private interview, talent, Red Carpet, and social impact pitch/onstage question," the Miss Milwaukee Organization wrote in a news release.
For her talent, Davis performed a contemporary fusion dance to "Dear Black Girl," a spoken word poem by Candace Nicholas-Lippman. "(It) is a little different than having music and a little more difficult, but definitely more impactful," Davis said.
Davis receives a $700 scholarship, plus she won the top talent award, earning an additional $100 scholarship.
Davis will now spend the next year promoting her personal social impact initiative — “What’s Wrong With Being Confident?” — which is focused on building self-confidence and positive body image among youth.
"I want to challenge people to confront their confidence battles, to overcome their imposter syndromes, to build the gap between generations, so that our younger women and our younger people can hear the stories of older generations, and how they too have overcome these confidence barriers," Davis said.
Davis will now need to network and socialize like she never has before. "I hope to be more involved in Milwaukee community and really doing outreach with different workshops, conferences, events, especially with our youth, getting into their schools in the MPS school district, as well as the Boys and Girls Clubs and doing some programming there," she said.
Davis received a glowing seal of approval from the Miss Milwaukee Organization. "Jada Davis is the epitome of what Miss Milwaukee should be. She is an intelligent, talented and accomplished young woman who is making a real impact," said Becky Plank, co-executive director of the Miss Milwaukee Organization.
"Jada is an advocate for good and a positive role model for our youth. ... Jada is looking forward to connecting with the diverse range of people who make up our multi-cultural city," Plank added.
The historical implications of her crowning, and the fact that a Black woman has never been named winner of the competition in the pageant's more than 100-year history, is something that Davis recognizes, and doesn't take the responsibility lightly.
"I wanted to run for this title because I recognize that there is not a representation for our Black women in the Milwaukee area, in this program," Davis said. "And, so to be the first Black woman to have this title is something that is an honor and also comes as a surprise in being that it's 2022. I'm definitely excited to be a role model for other young women in our community."
Ebony Cox of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this article. | 2022-03-26T11:49:41Z | www.jsonline.com | First Black woman selected Miss Milwaukee in the pageant's history | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/26/first-black-woman-selected-miss-milwaukee-pageants-history/7132894001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/26/first-black-woman-selected-miss-milwaukee-pageants-history/7132894001/ |
Tuesday was a banner day for the Brewers, as they came to agreements with nine of 10 arbitration-eligible players before the deadline to do so.
And the one who didn't settle — right-hander Adrian Houser — didn't seem fazed in the least about how the process played out for him.
"It's just business. It's just the business side of it," he said. "It doesn't change anything that I'm doing here. I'm going about my days the same way, going about my business the same way and I'm going to go out there every fifth or sixth day and come off the mound with the team having the best chance to win the ballgame."
Houser reportedly filed at $3 million while the Brewers countered at $2.425 million.
That's not a huge gap, which might suggest the two sides can find some common ground prior to going to a hearing, which could occur anywhere from April through even June or July.
"Hopefully we don't get to a trial, but right now it's heading towards a trial," he said. "That's all I know. I don't know any dates or anything like that, but anything can happen between now and then."
Houser said he was "pretty much in constant contact" with his agent in the days and hours leading up to the deadline Tuesday.
He made his Cactus League debut Monday night and looked sharp in four scoreless innings. Would he be able to keep such focus if a potential hearing was scheduled on a day he's slated to start in the regular season?
"It's going to be wild this year with the way everything's going with the speeded-up timeline and the lockout and everything," he said. "Hopefully they don't schedule it on a day that I'm pitching and I've got to sit there and go through all that and then it's, 'Hey, go out there and have some fun and pitch in the game.'
"That wouldn't be fun. So, we'll see what happens." | 2022-03-26T20:53:42Z | www.jsonline.com | Adrian Houser, Brewers no agreement as MLB arbitration deadline passes | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/26/adrian-houser-brewers-without-agreement-mlb-arbitration-deadline-passes/7180319001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/26/adrian-houser-brewers-without-agreement-mlb-arbitration-deadline-passes/7180319001/ |
PHOENIX — Devin Williams' second Cactus League appearance was a positive in a couple respects.
Pitching an inning in a 6-3 loss to the Oakland A's in Mesa on Friday, the Milwaukee Brewers setup man not only struck out all three batters he faced but also got some good work in with the cutter-slider he's aiming to make a more regular part of his arsenal in 2022.
Williams estimated he threw around eight to the trio of former teammate Billy McKinney, Skye Bolt and Tony Kemp and finished each at-bat with a swing and a miss.
"I liked the results I got," Williams said Saturday. "I was putting it in good spots and really just left one of them over the plate. But other than that, it was really good.
"I had three lefties, so I had a good chance to work on it. It's something I want to implement, especially against those guys. I want to get them off of the other side of the plate a little bit, so it was good to get that work in."
Williams said his goal going into his second spring outing was to see how the pitch played without regard for circumstances.
That's what spring training is for, after all.
"I just wanted to throw it regardless of who got up there or what the situation was. I wasn't worried about results," he said. "I just wanted to work on stuff yesterday."
Williams threw his cutter-slider only 14 times in 993 total pitches in 2021 — 1.4%.
By comparison, he threw his signature changeup 63.8% and his four-seamer 33.5%. If Williams can even make hitters think he might throw his third pitch from time to time, in theory that should make his two best pitches even more effective.
"I don't know how much I'll use it, but it'll be there somewhere, for sure," he said. "I felt like it kind of got them even off of the fastball, also. They've got three pitches to worry about instead of just the two.
"Anytime you can have them have a little more doubt in their mind about what I'm coming with, it's good for me."
Like any pitcher, success for Williams is predicated off his ability to spot his fastball, and that was an issue for him the first couple months of last season as he played catch-up from a shoulder injury that left him unable to pitch in the 2020 playoffs.
He's progressing in that area as well, with the next hurdle being making appearances on consecutive days with the April 7 season opener at Wrigley Field looming.
"It's been pretty good. It was not where I wanted it in the first outing, but it was better yesterday," Williams said. "Stacking good days on top of another one, as (manager Craig) Counsell says.
"Just continuing to get better each time out. That's the goal." | 2022-03-26T20:53:48Z | www.jsonline.com | Devin Williams throwing cutter-slider for Brewers in spring training | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/26/devin-williams-throwing-cutter-slider-brewers-spring-training/7159206001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/26/devin-williams-throwing-cutter-slider-brewers-spring-training/7159206001/ |
From major-league closer to spending the entirety of the next season in the minors, Trevor Gott now sees the benefits of the path he has taken the past two years.
It wasn’t long ago that Gott, a six-year major-league veteran with 146 career appearances, had assumed the closer role for the San Francisco Giants. The right-hander began the shortened 2020 season by getting the ball in the ninth inning and recorded saves in each of his first four opportunities.
Then things took a swift and drastic turn.
Gott, 29, surrendered 11 runs, all earned, while allowing more homers (five) than batters he retired (four) combined over his ensuing three outings.
“2020, I’d say it started off well,” Gott said. “I had a really rough patch, two games that I wouldn’t say I pitched well. I pitched really bad. I don’t want to say it looks worse because it came in a shortened season, but, yeah, those were two bad games and you learn from them and move on.”
Gott was relegated to lower-leverage duty and allowed one run in his final six outings before an injury sidelined him most of the final month. The Giants did not tender him a contract after the season and he was designated for assignment.
Trevor Gott learned lessons pitching for San Francisco's Class AAA team in 2021
Gott pitched all of last season for San Francisco’s Class AAA affiliate Sacramento, posting a 4.10 earned-run average in 43 games with 53 strikeouts to 16 walks.
“I feel like last year being down in AAA being able to work on everything that I needed to work on without the pressure (of the major leagues) was good,” Gott said. “Obviously you want to win every game, but I think it was really good for me in the big scheme of things. I took full advantage of the situation I was in.”
The results in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League were positive for Gott, but even more important were the refinements he made as a pitcher.
Gott has been primarily a two-pitch hurler during his career, which also included stints with the Angels and Nationals, fluctuating between a two-seam and four-seam as his primary offering from year-to-year while featuring a curveball.
In 2017 and '18, he threw the two-seam 55.6% of the time while the four-seam sat on the back burner. The following two seasons, after moving from Washington to San Francisco, Gott transitioned primarily to the four-seamer he utilized heavily as a rookie in 2015.
In 2019, the four-seamer was an excellent pitch for him, holding batters to a .190 average and .278 slugging percentage.
FanGraphs rated it as worth 14.3 runs above average that season, fifth-best among all relievers. But the following season, Gott battled command as hitters slugged .795 with five homers and three doubles against it.
He felt that many of those 2020 struggles could be attributed to — with only two pitches to choose from — hitters were able to lock in on one if the other wasn’t being located well.
Gott has become a more well-rounded pitcher
Gott revisited his arsenal again in the off-season, developing a cutter and throwing both his other fastballs in tandem.
“I would say I became more of a pitcher,” Gott said. “I think a lot of that goes to (hitters) having to respect three other pitches other than this fastball, curveball. I feel like I was filling up the zone with four, five pitches. As a hitter, that’s tough for him to have to respect all those pitches.”
Gott said he's comfortable with all four of his pitches this spring while also working to get the feel for a changeup to be able to throw it in games. He has never thrown a cutter in a big-league game, according to Baseball Savant, but it has been on display with good movement the last two weeks with the Brewers.
“The progress I’ve made with the cutter has really opened up the four-seam and two-seam,” Gott said. “It’s kind of been a two-year thing where I didn’t know when to throw it. I could throw it but I couldn’t throw it where I wanted to. Now I can throw it where I want to, when I want to. It’s taken a little bit, but the guys here have really helped with the location of it and when to throw it.”
Gott, 29, signed with Milwaukee in November and is on the team’s 40-man roster. He is out of minor-league options, so he will have to make the club’s roster out of spring or again be designated for assignment.
"I think you'd have to recognize that Gott's out of options,” manager Craig Counsell said. “That's important to recognize. Trevor's had a little bit of an up-and-down (experience). He went through a year that he struggled and had some pitch change stuff that didn't go so well.
"So, we're kind of trying to get him back to what he's been really good at. And he feels comfortable there. He's had some big-league opportunities and some success in some opportunities."
Gott has given the Brewers every reason to include him in the mix for a bullpen spot, allowing one run with five strikeouts and no walks in three innings.
“It's been great,” Gott said of his new team. “Everyone’s super welcoming. Seems like they have a very family-oriented culture going on. It makes you feel comfortable.” | 2022-03-26T20:53:54Z | www.jsonline.com | Trevor Gott looks to resurrect career with Brewers pitching staff | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/26/trevor-gott-looks-resurrect-career-brewers-pitching-staff-after-last-season-san-francisco-giants/7180178001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/26/trevor-gott-looks-resurrect-career-brewers-pitching-staff-after-last-season-san-francisco-giants/7180178001/ |
JetBlue Airways began service at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport on Sunday.
The airline is starting service between Milwaukee and Boston Logan International and Milwaukee and New York John F. Kennedy International.
JetBlue’s Milwaukee flights will be operated on 140-seat Airbus A220 aircraft.
JetBlue’s arrival will also add more competition at Milwaukee’s airport.
The carrier will compete with Delta Air Lines on the Boston route. JetBlue will be the only airline serving JFK. It will compete with Delta and United Airlines for nonstops between Milwaukee and the New York City metro area.
Delta flies between Milwaukee and New York LaGuardia, and United flies between Milwaukee and Newark, New Jersey.
JetBlue, based in New York, bills itself as "New York's Hometown Airline."
Its service in Milwaukee comes as the airport is experiencing its busiest time, spring break.
The airline is on a growth trajectory and is continuing to return to pre-pandemic levels in terms of its operations, according to the carrier's website.
For the full-year 2022, the airline is planning to grow it capacity between 11% and 15% compared with 2019 "as we bring aircraft utilization back towards pre-pandemic levels..." the company said.
JetBlue was founded in 2000.
The airline has six "focus cities" that include New York, Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Juan.
JetBlue is the nation's sixth-largest airline, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The agency says JetBlue has 5.3% of the domestic market as measured by a metric known as revenue passenger miles.
Revenue passenger miles is basically a measure of how many paying customers an airline has.
By comparison, the dominant airline at Milwaukee Mitchell International, Southwest Airlines, has 17.4% of the U.S. domestic market. Southwest is second behind American Airlines which has 19.5% of the domestic market, the transportation department numbers show.
JetBlue ranked 9th in on-time arrivals in the U.S. during 2021, with 72.3% of its flights being on-time, according to the U.S.
JetBlue had the 4th-fewest flights canceled during 2021, with 1.62% of flights canceled.
More:Spirit Airlines adding nonstop seasonal flights between Milwaukee and Myrtle Beach
More:Budget airlines Frontier and Spirit to merge; both serve Milwaukee Mitchell International, offer cheap fares but lots of extra fees | 2022-03-27T23:47:41Z | www.jsonline.com | JetBlue begins airline service between Milwaukee and New York, Boston | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/27/jetblue-begins-airline-service-between-milwaukee-and-new-york-boston/7157861001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/27/jetblue-begins-airline-service-between-milwaukee-and-new-york-boston/7157861001/ |
Milwaukee Bucks must balance health, winning in final regular season stretch
MEMPHIS – Since the all-star break ended the Milwaukee Bucks have gone 10-4 with wins over then-Eastern Conference leaders Miami and Chicago, Western Conference leader Phoenix and snapped a two-decade losing streak in Utah.
Once painfully close to the play-in tournament, the Bucks appear comfortably out of that picture with five-game cushion on the seventh-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers with eight to play.
And the Bucks are just a half game out of the No. 1 seed… while sitting in fourth place in the conference. The final eight games could be a mad dash for the top spot and home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
With a 3-0 record against Chicago and a three-game lead over the stumbling Bulls for the fifth seed, the Bucks don’t appear in much danger of falling any further than fourth in the East and hosting at least a first-round playoff series.
But the defending NBA champions may have also entered that period of the season where they must make health decisions for the playoffs that could prevent them from closing the regular season on a tear.
“Each year has its own unique situations and circumstances,” Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said before the Chicago game on March 22 that Khris Middleton missed. “But I think to have the team as healthy as possible is something that is very important. Layered into healthy is maybe, if possible, having not worn down mentally or physically (players).
"So, sometimes injures can be a little bit of a silver lining. For Khris to miss a game, it’s a big game obviously, but for him to not play, there’s some silver linings. Sports performances and the coaches, including Jon (Horst), front office, we put our head together and try to make good decisions for ultimately what’s most important which is being healthy and playing our best basketball going into the playoffs.”
Center Brook Lopez admitted as much, believing that he'll be peaking in time for the playoffs after returning from back surgery on March 14. Pat Connaughton had missed just three games and logged about 27 minutes per contest before being sidelined with a broken finger for a month. He's averaged 13.5 points since returning on March 19.
Giannis Antetokounmpo missed two of the last four games with right knee soreness (two losses) and stepped on a Memphis player with his left foot on Sunday – though he remained in the game and didn’t appear worse for wear afterward.
Middleton missed two games (two wins) with left wrist soreness. Jrue Holiday missed the Memphis loss on Saturday with left ankle soreness and didn’t make the trip before the team returned home to Milwaukee.
The defending champions have their sights set on another long playoff run and even the players know there is a balance to be struck between the short-term decision of playing or taking advantage of one of their final opportunities to get off their feet.
Five of Milwaukee’s remaining games are on the road (Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland) and three at home (Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas, Boston).
And they have two back-to-backs remaining where they are traveling home, or out of Milwaukee, immediately after the first game.
No Bucks player has played in every game this season following a 70-day offseason for the players who did not participate in the summer Olympics.
“Obviously, you’ve got to start taking care of your body because we’ve played a season for 82 games – obviously a lot of players have missed a couple of games in-between those – so a lot of games have played 70, 65, and there’s a bunch of injuries like lingering you know?” Antetokounmpo said in Memphis.
“Like somebody’s knee, ankle, back, hips. You’ve got to start taking care of your body. You don’t want to go into the playoffs having all these things lingering. You want to be 100% healthy because once you go into the playoffs and competing, stuff is going to happen there.
“Like last year in the playoffs I had my knee, I had my elbow, I had sprained my ankle, tweaked my ankle a coupe times. It’s going to be stuff happening because you’re competing so hard. So, as a team, we’ve got to keep playing good basketball, keep building good habits. There’s nothing we necessarily have to change. I think we’re in a very, very good place. Now, if that means we’re going to win a championship, I don’t know. I can’t predict the future. I don’t think nobody in here knows. But we know we’re in a good place and we can put ourselves in position to win. And now take care of our bodies, for sure.
“Everybody has to be healthy. Hopefully – knock on wood – nobody gets injured for the last eight games and everybody finishes the season healthy and happy and go into the playoffs and enjoy the game and compete as hard as we can.” | 2022-03-27T23:47:53Z | www.jsonline.com | Bucks must balance health, winning in final regular season stretch | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/27/bucks-must-balance-health-winning-final-regular-season-stretch/7159372001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/27/bucks-must-balance-health-winning-final-regular-season-stretch/7159372001/ |
Oshkosh Defense wanted to use Foxconn building and JetBlue has started Milwaukee service
Foxconn rebuffed Oshkosh Defense's inquiry to build its postal vehicles in Racine County
Oshkosh Corp.'s Oshkosh Defense division wanted to build tens of thousands of vehicles in one of Foxconn’s buildings in Mount Pleasant. Had the deal gone through, more than 1,000 employees would have worked at the site. Instead, the vehicles will be manufactured in South Carolina. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told several reporters that Oshkosh Corp. made inquiries about renting the Foxconn facility but was rebuffed. "They had to find an existing building," Johnson said. "They tried to rent the Foxconn building."
Oshkosh Defense looked at multiple sites in several states, including Wisconsin, but ultimately choose Spartanburg, South Carolina because the facility gives the company "the best ability to meet the needs of the USPS," said Oshkosh Corp. spokeswoman Alexandra Hittle.
Officials said the Foxconn site is primed for another company and racine County officials are eager to draw a new business to the largely empty site, but with Foxconn reportedly turning down Oshkosh Corp.’s offer, how much of a say will the company have in future developments on the site? State Rep. Gordon Hintz of Oshkosh said the decision by Foxconn to turn away Oshkosh Corp. is contrary to the goals of Wisconsin and he wants an explanation. “I know what I’m getting (with Oshkosh Corp.)," Hintz said. "Good-paying union jobs. Supply chain that exists in Wisconsin already. I guess what’s good for Foxconn is not necessarily good for Wisconsin.”
Cavalier Johnson, vying to be the city's first elected Black mayor, doesn't have public backing of Black aldermen
Ald. Ashanti Hamilton is the only Black council member to endorse in the race — and he has thrown his support behind Johnson's opponent, former Ald. Bob Donovan, who is white. Several Black council members said they did not feel Johnson had done enough to reach out to them over his nearly two-year term as council president. He replaced Hamilton as council president in 2020 without the support of any Black members, who backed Ald. Milele Coggs.
Hamilton said most of the Black council members had expected Johnson to push an agenda that included "more resources for the most disenfranchised parts of the city." But Hamilton said that didn't happen.
Sachin Chheda, campaign manager for Johnson, noted that a number of leading Black politicians, such as Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, are endorsing Johnson. Chheda added that Johnson is going to all corners of the county to get as many votes as he can. "When it comes to governing, the (acting) mayor is open to every good idea and will work with anyone and everyone to move Milwaukee forward," Chheda said in a statement.
JetBlue Sunday started service between Milwaukee and Boston Logan International and Milwaukee and New York John F. Kennedy International. JetBlue’s Milwaukee flights will be operated on 140-seat Airbus A220 aircraft.
JetBlue's arrival will also add more competition at Milwaukee’s airport. The carrier will compete with Delta Air Lines on the Boston route. JetBlue will be the only airline serving JFK. It will compete with Delta and United Airlines for nonstops between Milwaukee and the New York City metro area. Delta flies between Milwaukee and New York LaGuardia, and United flies between Milwaukee and Newark, New Jersey.
Its service in Milwaukee comes as the airport is experiencing its busiest time, spring break. The airline is on a growth trajectory and is continuing to return to pre-pandemic levels in terms of its operations, according to the carrier's website.
FACTORY FARM: The DNR issued a permit for a controversial Kewaunee Co. factory farm, capping the herd size and requiring groundwater monitoring.
POTAWATOMI: The Potawatomi built a $20 million renewable energy project near the tribe's Milwaukee casino. It's closing after 9 years due to COVID.
OSCARS: Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and CODA win big at the Oscars and it looked like Smith socked Chris Rock when Rock made a joke at Smith's wife's expense. Was it real?
SUMMERFEST: A big day Tuesday for the Big Gig. Summerfest announced that more than 100 headliners will be announced on its social media channels on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.
BREWERS: Brent Suter's logic-defying fastball is one of the slowest in baseball. It's also one of the best.
FINAL FOUR: This seems to happen a lot: An NCAA tournament filled with upsets and Cinderella runs ends with a Final Four of nothing but bluebloods - Kansas, Duke, North Carolina and Villanova.
ICE SHOVES: You've got to see the ice shoves on Lake Winnebago this year. Incredible.
JOBS: The statewide labor shortage could last years. Here's how employers, workers can still succeed.
No one was better than seizing the spotlight than Al McGuire, and the Marquette University basketball coach seized the biggest one of all on March 28, 1977, when Marquette ended its Cinderella season — and McGuire's last — with a 67-59 victory over North Carolina to win the NCAA championship. - Chris Foran
At least it's sunny. Another cold one with a high of 31. Not a great week coming up. Wintry mix Tuesday night, rain all day Wednesday, back to a wintry mix on Thursday. March not going out like a lamb, but it rarely does in Wisconsin. | 2022-03-28T07:24:23Z | www.jsonline.com | Oshkosh Defense wanted to use Foxconn building | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/27/oshkosh-defense-wanted-use-foxconn-building/7185954001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/27/oshkosh-defense-wanted-use-foxconn-building/7185954001/ |
Milwaukee Rep's musical 'Titanic' takes on special meaning for the great-granddaughter of a survivor
When Melissa Vartanian-Mikaelian learned her employer, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, was performing "Titanic" this season, she was "super excited," because the musical reminds her of the greatest love story she knows.
Her great-grandfather, David (Davit) Vartanian, an Armenian immigrant seeking a better life in North America, survived the Titanic sinking in 1912, and was reunited with his wife Mary 11 years later.
Decades later, when David's daughter Rose put her visiting grandchildren to bed, Melissa and her sister Jennifer would say, Tell us a story of when your Dad jumped off the Titanic.
More than a century after the British passenger liner foundered in the North Atlantic Ocean, interest remains high in the stories of people rich and poor who survived the sinking — and the more than 1,500 who didn't.
RELATED:100 unsinkable facts about the Titanic
The musical "Titanic," by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, premiered in 1997, the same year as James Cameron's popular movie "Titanic," but they are not connected. The Broadway production won multiple Tony awards, including best musical and best original score.
Milwaukee Rep artistic director Mark Clements sees Cameron's movie as an action vehicle, but he says the musical concentrates more on characters, including the immigrants traveling third class and people like Fred Barrett, the Titanic's lead stoker.
But fear not, Clements promises plenty of visual spectacle in the Rep's staging of "Titanic." Performances begin April 5. With a cast of 30 actors, it will be one of the largest musicals the Rep has staged.
Vartanian-Mikaelian, the Rep's managing director, called it "very special" that "the place I have given 20 years of my career to is doing a production that has such historical relevance to my family. It is like my two worlds are colliding in a really beautiful way. I have felt truly honored that so many of my colleagues have taken an interest in hearing about my family history."
The Titanic sank on his birthday
David Vartanian married a fellow Armenian, Mary, in 1911. Soon after, he left the turbulent Ottoman Empire, with the plan of sending for Mary when he established himself.
He was in the ocean liner's steerage level with other passengers when the Titanic struck an iceberg on April 15, 1912 — his 22nd birthday.
"They knew something was happening. Exactly like in the movie, they broke down the gate so they could get out," his daughter Rose Vartanian told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Jim Stingl in a 2009 interview.
In that same interview, Rose Vartanian told Stingl that David, swimming in the icy water, grabbed onto a lifeboat. Passengers, fearing it would capsize, rapped on his hands to try to make him let go. That's the story Melissa Vartanian-Mikaelian heard growing up.
But when Melissa talked with the Brantford Expositor newspaper in Ontario for an article in 2012, she learned details about her great-grandfather's experience that made his survival even more remarkable.
More:'Ragtime,' new twist on classics make Milwaukee Repertory Theater's next season much ado about something
After being rescued and then treated for a few days in a New York hospital, David Vartanian arrived in Ontario. Shortly thereafter, he and another Armenian survivor were interviewed by the Expositor, which published an article in 1912 about their experiences.
Melissa learned that shortly before the Titanic foundered, David and some other men, none of whom spoke the same language, discovered a collapsible lifeboat that had not yet been lowered. Working together despite the language gap, they released it into the ocean. It started to wash away, so they jumped into the water and swam for it.
After going down twice, David managed to make the lifeboat with a "big swim," he told the Brantford journalist. Others already in it pulled him aboard.
Unfortunately, they had traveled only 20 yards or so when the collapsible lifeboat went down. Finding himself in the water again, David swam to another lifeboat where, this account says, others in that lifeboat paid little attention to him, so he managed to pull himself into it. He was one of the 700-plus survivors rescued by the RMS Carpathia.
As he established himself first in Canada and then in the United States, David Vartanian tried every means he could to get messages to his wife, Mary. He learned in 1915 that her village was raided during the Armenian genocide; he could no longer be certain even if she was alive.
Finally, he connected with her brothers, who had come over to work in the United States, learning that she had fled the genocide all the way to Syria, before eventually returning to her home village. David and Mary were finally reunited in 1923 at Niagara Falls.
The Vartanians settled in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he was known as Titanic David. "The lower half of my grandfather’s body had a bluish tint from being in the frigid water for so long, and remained that way,” his grandson Greg told a reporter for The Armenian Weekly in 2009.
“Dad never showed any further interest in swimming," Rose said.
At some point after the 1940 census, the Vartanians moved to Detroit, where David died in 1966.
Married at the Titanic exhibit
Melissa said her grandmother Rose was "kind of obsessed" with all things Titanic, taking her and her sister to any event or exhibit related to the doomed ocean liner within driving distance. Rose felt, and Melissa herself feels, it is important to learn the history and honor both the souls that survived and the ones who didn't.
So Melissa was pleased when a major traveling exhibit of Titanic artifacts came to the Milwaukee Public Museum in 2008-'09.
She was home sick a day from work, watching "The Morning Blend" on WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) during its "Wedding Week" promotion, when she heard about a contest with the first prize of an expenses-paid wedding at the Titanic exhibit. Already involved in planning her wedding to Vache Mikaelian, Melissa entered and won the contest. She understands why some people might see the whole episode as incongruous. But to her, it was a way of honoring her legacy.
Her husband was completely on board.
"It’s her family history," he told Stingl in 2009. "It’s become an important story to me, too, now."
Melissa was in high school when the musical "Titanic" opened on Broadway. She bought the original cast recording on CD and listened to it "nonstop." She also bought the CD for her grandmother Rose to hear.
"I love the music, the score. The orchestrations are phenomenal. And it's so majestic," she said.
As the Rep's managing director, Melissa oversees human resources, facilities, information technology and other departments, so she is privy to artistic planning discussions, and she knew that performing "Titanic" had been under consideration for several years. It originally was scheduled for autumn 2020 but was delayed by the pandemic shutdown.
Of course she wants you to see the Rep's production of "Titanic." Mark Clements "has been really sincere in trying to honor the memory of all of those that lost their lives that night, or fought for their lives that night," she said. "I couldn’t imagine any better director to lead this massive production."
But she also hopes you will stay with this story after you leave the theater.
"Explore the people that were on this boat and their stories. Explore more about the ship and how it was built and why it was built and what happened afterwards," she said.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater performs the musical "Titanic" April 5-May 15 at the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490. | 2022-03-28T13:21:04Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Rep's 'Titanic' a family story for a descendant of survivor | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/03/28/titanic-vartanian-melissa-milwaukee-repertory-musical/9456661002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/03/28/titanic-vartanian-melissa-milwaukee-repertory-musical/9456661002/ |
Black households never recovered from the Great Recession, a UW-Madison report on racial wealth gaps suggests
A new report is highlighting how much the Great Recession widened racial wealth gaps, particularly on the basis of income and homeownership.
“Racial Disparities in Household Wealth Following the Great Recession,” authored by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Fenaba R. Addo and Duke University Professor William A. Darity Jr., found that Black and Latino households continue to lag behind white households in wealth and income statistics.
The report was published this month through the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Institute for Research on Poverty and used Survey on Consumer Finances data to come to its conclusions.
Here are some of the key findings:
For households in the bottom 20% of income distribution, white households held a median average of $26,340 in assets compared with $1,900 in the assets of Black families.
By 2019, white working-class households had nearly triple the median wealth of Black professional-class households (and almost six times the wealth of Black working-class households).
Black heads of household with a college degree, on average, have only two-thirds of the net worth of white heads of household who never finished high school.
Prior to the recession, the net worth of white households was eight times that of Black households. Following the “recovery” period, the net worth of white households was 10 times the net worth of Black households.
The report's authors provided several reasons for the gaps, but crucial themes that emerged were the differences in income, debt accrued and access to credit.
For example, the report noted significant differences in income, despite the fact that the number of Black professionals increased by 5 percentage points from 2010 to 2019 while the percentage of white professionals stayed the same.
Tim Smeeding, a distinguished economics and public policy professor at UW-Madison, is part of a National Aacademy of Sciences endeavor to study income, wealth and consumption statistics for policy and research purposes. He attributed part of the gap between working-class white households' wealth and Black professionals' household wealth to the differences in the way Black and white graduates take on college debt.
RELATED:Drop out or drown in debt? Many Black students in Wisconsin face stark choices in paying for college
“Part of the reason young Black professionals are less likely to be doing well is because they had to go into debt to finance their college education,” he explained. “They were less likely to have their college paid for by parents and grandparents.”
Working white households, he said, are more likely to receive financial help from family and less likely to be jailed or imprisoned for criminal offenses.
Criminal justice involvement, disproportionately experienced by Black males, leads to another type of debt: legal debt and the fees associated with restitution payments, court costs or even unpaid child support while a person is behind bars.
Another primary reason for the gap is fallout from the housing crash. The targeting of Black and Latino households for subprime mortgages led to a disproportionate loss of homeownership, which remains one of the nation's major drivers of wealth.
Smeeding noted that although homeownership rates among white, and to a smaller extent Latino, households rebounded following the Great Recession, Black households have never recovered from that decline in homeownership.
Historically, the denial of VA loans, exclusion from higher-paying jobs and practices such as redlining and inequitable home appraisals meant many Black households were already several generations behind in wealth accumulation before the Great Recession.
RELATED:'An intergeneration issue': Why a rising gap between Black and white homeownership will only keep growing
“To be thinking about homeownership, you’re going to need a decent credit rating, some sort of a job history and you can’t have a lot of debt,” he said. “If you’ve got student loan debt, which you have to repay and this is your first good job, you’re much less likely to get well-rated, and it will be more expensive to buy a home.”
“If they gave you a subsidy for your first home, that would make a big difference in a city like Milwaukee,” Smeeding said, referring to the $15,000 First-Time Homebuyer Act proposed by the Biden Administration, but not yet passed. “It's not that the homes are so expensive, it's that incomes are so low and credit ratings are so shaky. ”
Finally, Addo and Darity noted that generational wealth transfers have widened the gap with white households — from the working class to more affluent classes — are more likely to receive family financial gifts and inherit real estate, cash, investments and other assets.
Retirement savings, which represents one of the most common sources of inheritance and help for other family members, is sorely lacking among Black households, who often rely on Social Security pensions and meager — if any — savings after leaving the workforce.
RELATED:Aging African-Americans are hit with a double-whammy: health and financial troubles
“The trouble is (Social Security) is not bequeathable or transferrable and that alone doesn’t refer a great standard of living,” Smeeding said. “We hope people have additional pensions, 401ks or IRAs, but that can be very difficult because most of those plans demand that you contribute right away. If you opt in, you think my check is going to be smaller, I can’t afford it right now.”
Relative to white households, Black households’ lower income, lack of homeownership and credit access, high likelihood to incur various types of debt, and dearth of retirement savings have made closing the racial wealth gap extremely difficult.
The coronavirus pandemic, the report estimated, will only exacerbate the gaps, despite a more concerted focus on racial equity in recent years.
Even with some of the economic relief and child allowance payments distributed during the pandemic, Smeeding noted that the loss of Black-owned businesses, massive layoffs to Black and Latino workers and inflation in the housing sector are likely to perpetuate the gap.
“While you may find a short-term increase in consumer debt or bills owed, the recovery generally strengthened the well-to-do and weakened the wealth position of those in the lower or middle-income distribution.” | 2022-03-28T13:21:22Z | www.jsonline.com | New UW-Madison report says racial wealth gap is widening. Here's why. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/28/uw-madison-report-says-racial-wealth-gap-widening-heres-why-black-african-american-great-recession/7138785001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/28/uw-madison-report-says-racial-wealth-gap-widening-heres-why-black-african-american-great-recession/7138785001/ |
Wisconsin Weavers: In La Crosse, a community group counters racism and white privilege with an ecosystem of care
The irony was immediately obvious.
A Black rapper flies into La Crosse to discuss white privilege at a conference, and a white shuttle driver refuses to give him a ride to his hotel until he can prove that he's actually staying there.
Moments later, though, a white passenger asks for a lift and gets a ride from the driver — no questions asked.
“This type of sh** happens to Black people traveling in white spaces all of the time,” Jasiri X posted at the time on Instagram, along with a video explaining what had happened.
It's the sort of incident the Waking Up White Collaborative is working to combat. The collaborative, formed in 2018, has created a regional ecosystem of care around race and racism in the greater La Crosse community, which is 92% white.
More:Bev Kelley-Miller's daughter died of a drug overdose. She became a dedicated advocate for people with addictions.
“That driver was like all of us,” said Patrick Lunney, an early member of the group. “We all have unconscious biases. These kind of incidents are common and often get brushed off as not being that big of a deal. To him, it was a big deal — and this is precisely why we need to do this work."
It would be fair to say that before the Waking up White Collaborative began its work, the idea of white privilege and its impact on people of color wasn’t that high on the community’s agenda.
It's much higher now.
Waking Up White has created what amounts to an ongoing community workshop — and an ongoing conversation — on the impact of white privilege and what can be done to make people of color feel included.
Quite intentionally, this effort is being led by white people in the community, with guidance from people of color.
“To be able to come together and recognize that … we were all connected and we’re all working toward the same goal of increasing awareness, of moving this community to be less racist — I think that’s what’s been really powerful,” said Diana DiazGranados, a committee member.
The collaborative has organized a regional reading of Debby Irving’s provocative 2014 book, “Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race,” has held numerous facilitated discussions large and small (even during the pandemic), has created films that capture people of color talking about their experiences with racism, and connected top community leaders to the effort — including school principals, police, judges and hospital administrators.
With the guidance of long-time educator Thomas Harris, Waking Up White helped plan the White Privilege Symposium held last December, where Irving, activist Winona LaDuke — and Jasiri X — were among the speakers.
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is sharing this story as part of its Wisconsin Weavers Project, which is highlighting the efforts of people across the state who are weaving their communities together.
It's an idea we're borrowing from The Aspen Institute, a global nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., In 2018, it started Weave: The Social Fabric Project to solve the problem of broken social trust that has left many Americans divided. Aspen works to find weavers, tells their stories and offers them support and connection.
It all started with a book
The seeds for the regional efforts in La Crosse were planted in 2017 when members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship read Irving’s book.
The book helped Mary Nelson see how little she knew about race and racism. Nelson, a retired radiologist, was among those who formed the group that eventually became the collaborative.
In the book, Irving, who is white, describes her journey from a well-meaning person raised in an affluent Boston suburb who thought she was color blind, to a person who talks very differently now about racism and her understanding of racial justice. The book is one-part unvarnished self-examination, one-part history of the powerfully destructive impact of white privilege on people of color.
“Our group was kind of dumbfounded by whiteness,” Nelson recalls.
The founders of the group knew they wanted to get involved but soon realized they needed guidance. They were “stuck,” Nelson says.
Enter Harris.
Harris, who is Black, was then assistant director in the UW-La Crosse Office of Multicultural Student Services. Over the years, Harris had mentored thousands of students, had brought the White Privilege Conference to La Crosse in 2010, and had a large network of people he knew around the country who were working for racial justice. His network included Debby Irving.
Harris agreed to work with the group, but there was a condition.
“This was largely a white group of folks, and Thomas served as our guide,” remembers Lunney, a retired account manager. “Thomas advised us in the beginning that there would be specific times we would bring people of color into it but we, as white people, needed to do the majority of the work.”
Harris, now retired, suggested that the group take a regional approach — don’t just focus on the city, he told them. “There are people in the surrounding areas who are coming in and out of the area to shop and work,” he said in an interview. “Those communities don’t really have opportunities to talk about this kind of stuff — and to really dig deep.”
Harris made two other key suggestions that helped the group gain credibility: have in-person meetings whenever possible — and in discussions, make sure that both white people and people of color facilitate.
“All of this has to do with relationship building,” Harris said. “It’s easier and more effective to build relationships the more you see one another, talk to one another, shake hands with one another, hug one another — as opposed to doing everything on the Internet and through email.”
In 2019, an early project of the collaborative, “Creating a Healthier Multicultural Community,” trained a local group of 28 ethnically and racially diverse facilitators and convened four three-hour small group "Deep Dive" discussions for 48 La Crosse community leaders on topics such as bias, racial disparities and racism.
That effort was developed with, and led by, diversity consultants Reggie Jackson and Dr. Fran Kaplan, who two years later brought the same facilitators and participants together again for a half-day anti-racism workshop.
Like most groups, the pandemic limited what the Waking Up White Collaborative could do in 2020, but despite those limits, the work continued, and in 2021, the group organized a “regional read” of Irving’s book.
In partnership with the La Crosse Public Library, more than 1,000 books were passed out and more than 1,200 people were reached during nine public presentations and 20 facilitated book chats. That year was capped by the White Privilege Symposium, which several hundred people attended in person and which also was streamed online.
A system in La Crosse to counter racism
What has the Waking up White Collaborative accomplished?
While it’s difficult to measure work that attempts to change the hearts and minds of people, the organizers see progress. When a racial incident occurs now, there is a ready infrastructure with broad support that can step in.
Like everywhere, racism happens. Maybe it’s a feeling of disrespect at an emergency room or a muttered oath at a Walmart. Or a Black rapper who has to prove he’s actually staying at a hotel.
Lunney said it’s clear to him that people are more aware of white privilege and its relationship to racism. “When there are situations that need to be addressed, much more often I see them being addressed,” he said.
“The evidence to me is the relationships that have developed,” he said. “We’ve moved some of the bystanders into the fray — it’s really encouraging to see.”
DiazGranados, who also works with a youth mental health organization in La Crosse and with a group countering Muslim hate, points to the eye-opening nature of the films the collaborative produced. (The films are only screened with facilitators present to help participants discuss what they see and hear, and what role they can play to make changes).
In a film with Black youth, the young people being interviewed are making very basic requests, DiazGranados says.
“They are very simple messages: ‘We want to be treated with respect. We want to learn about our history. Don’t judge us by the way we look. Ask us what we need.’ It’s very simple, basic human rights.”
Harris said the effort has sparked more diversity and inclusion efforts generally in the La Crosse area. He said the initial group of participants are helping to create “a healthier multicultural community. They essentially became point people for their workplaces and organizations. … That definitely happened, particularly in the white community.”
In a recent interview, Jasiri X recalled his experience at the La Crosse airport and gave credit to the collaborative for its work.
"I do think that groups like Waking Up White are trying to begin this conversation by saying 'Yes, these things actually do happen,' " he said.
"The way I talked about it at the symposium is I just said this is what it's like to be traveling while Black."
Jasiri X said having honest, dispassionate conversations can help.
"We have to have a real conversation — really talk about these differences between living as Black and white people. ... Let's talk about this — not blaming anybody — but trying to get to the point where the next person who comes to La Crosse doesn't have to experience what I experienced." | 2022-03-28T13:21:28Z | www.jsonline.com | In La Crosse, countering racism and white privilege with education | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/solutions/2022/03/28/la-crosse-countering-racism-and-white-privilege-education-waking-up-white-collaborative/7134815001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/solutions/2022/03/28/la-crosse-countering-racism-and-white-privilege-education-waking-up-white-collaborative/7134815001/ |
Country star Toby Keith to headline the 2022 Wisconsin State Fair's Main Stage on opening day
Country star Toby Keith will headline the Main Stage at the Wisconsin State Fair's opening night, Aug. 4, the fair announced Monday.
Singer-songwriter Alex Miller will open the 7:30 p.m. show.
With more than 30 No. 1 singles and more than 40 million albums sold, Keith is no stranger to Wisconsin, including gigs at Country Thunder in 2018 and at Harley-Davidson's 110th birthday bash in 2013.
RELATED:Hip-hop veteran Nelly is the first headliner announced for the 2022 Wisconsin State Fair
RELATED:Summerfest 2022 set to announce more than 100 headliners on Tuesday morning
Reserved-seating tickets, at $65, $70 and $75, go on sale at 9 a.m. April 7 at WiStateFair.com. Tickets include admission to the 2022 Wisconsin State Fair for the day of the show.
The 2022 Wisconsin State Fair runs Aug. 4-14. Other Main Stage headliners for the 2022 fair include Jeff Dunham on Aug. 6; the '60s-centric Happy Together Tour, Aug. 7; Zach Williams with We the Kingdom, Aug. 8; and Nelly with Ginuwine, Aug. 12. | 2022-03-28T15:49:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Country star Toby Keith to headline 2022 Wisconsin State Fair | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2022/03/28/country-star-toby-keith-headline-2022-wisconsin-state-fair/7190454001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2022/03/28/country-star-toby-keith-headline-2022-wisconsin-state-fair/7190454001/ |
Downtown's Water, Van Buren streets to become more friendly for bikes and walkers — and less welcoming for reckless drivers
Two major downtown Milwaukee roads — North Water and Van Buren streets — will be rebuilt to make them more welcoming for people who bike and walk, under a new plan.
That proposal, part of the city's overall Complete Streets strategy, also is designed to help fight reckless driving — and encourage continued commercial development.
It would include such items as bike lanes that are separated from car lanes with trees and other barriers, as well as reducing the number of car lanes.
That's according to a new report from Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson's administration to the Common Council.
The council has already approved $3.1 million in funding for the Van Buren Street project. There is no cost estimate yet for the Water Street project, which also will need council funding approval.
Putting streets on a diet
Both projects present opportunities to reimagine how two major downtown streets are used, according to the Department of Public Works report. The council's Public Works Committee could review that report in April.
The work would occur on Water Street, from Clybourn Street south to the Milwaukee River, and on Van Buren Street, between Brady Street and Wisconsin Avenue.
The Van Buren project has already been moving forward.
Last fall, the department did a "road diet" on that street, reducing the number of car lanes from four to three (one lane in each direction with a center turning lane) between Brady Street and Kilbourn Avenue.
Also, the council on March 1 approved the Johnson administration's proposal to spend $8.5 million on improved roads and new bike lanes, including portions of Van Buren Street.
Those funds are coming from four tax incremental financing districts that were created to help pay for commercial developments in downtown and other neighborhoods.
On Van Buren Street, the changes will include bike lanes that are separated from car lanes with trees in some locations.
Other work is to include raised crosswalks, sidewalks widened at bus stops, and widened areas in road medians to help people more safely cross busy streets.
The design process for the Van Buren Street changes is to begin in May, and will include reaching out to citizens for their input, the report said.
Construction is to begin by summer of 2023.
A calming effect
Similar changes could come to Water Street.
But that project is still in the beginning stages, and requires more data collection and public input before a specific plan is created.
The Water Street work could be funded through TIF districts, the report said.
That project wouldn't begin until the planned 333 Water apartment high-rise is completed at the corner of Water Street and St. Paul Avenue. Construction is to begin in August, with the building expected to take nearly two years to finish.
The Complete Streets movement calls for traffic calming measures such as narrowed roads, widened sidewalks, protected bike lanes and lanes set aside just for mass transit.
Along with better accommodating bikers, walkers and transit users, proponents say those redesigned roads help reduce speeding and reckless driving, while also encouraging more commercial development. | 2022-03-28T15:49:30Z | www.jsonline.com | Downtown street project welcomes bikes, walkers, not reckless drivers | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/03/28/downtown-street-project-welcomes-bikes-walkers-not-reckless-drivers/7190510001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/03/28/downtown-street-project-welcomes-bikes-walkers-not-reckless-drivers/7190510001/ |
Summer Soulstice Music Festival returns to Milwaukee's east side for the first time since the pandemic
Summer Soulstice Music Festival is coming back to Milwaukee's east side for the first time since 2019.
This year's event will be on June 18, and will be the 20th Summer Soulstice put on by the East Side Business Improvement District.
This year's event along North Avenue will feature one large stage, along with smaller stages, one being a new stage in Black Cat Alley where local artists' murals are featured.
The festival will continue to offer a free showcase of local bands, along with food, arts and crafts and other activities.
For more information visit www.theeastside.org/happenings/summer-soulstice/ | 2022-03-28T18:12:30Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee street festival Summer Soulstice returns to east side | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/28/milwaukee-street-music-festival-summer-soulstice-returns-east-side/7192601001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/28/milwaukee-street-music-festival-summer-soulstice-returns-east-side/7192601001/ |
Turang, the Brewers' sixth-ranked overall prospect, is a player manager Craig Counsell mentioned at one point as likely making his major-league debut this season.
"He needs at-bats," Counsell said. "He needs some regular at-bats. Davis could use regular at-bats. Mathias.
"I think (Turang) needs to think about improving. I would say there's lots of avenues for him to still get better, and he should still be in the growth curve as a player.
"But, he's certainly getting closer."
More:Brent Suter's logic-defying fastball is one of the slowest in baseball. It's also one of the best.
Brothers, a non-roster invitee, didn't pitch in a Cactus League game due to a minor injury. That set the 34-year-old back in his bid to make the opening day roster, but the fact he's a left-hander with the ability to strike batters out (career average of 11 per nine innings) makes him a candidate to be an in-season callup.
"We've seen him a lot. He's just got to get going," Counsell said. "I think he can still get ready for the Triple-A season, but we've just got to get him going. And he's on board with that."
Still, he confirmed that Urías won't be ready for the season opener April 7 at Wrigley Field.
"I think we can rule out opening day," he said. "(At-bats) are our issue. If it had happened two weeks into spring then we'd be maybe thinking about opening day." | 2022-03-28T18:12:36Z | www.jsonline.com | Brice Turang among Brewers' cuts; Luis Urías will miss opening day | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/28/brice-turang-among-milwaukee-brewers-cuts-luis-urias-miss-opening-day/7190175001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/28/brice-turang-among-milwaukee-brewers-cuts-luis-urias-miss-opening-day/7190175001/ |
The apartment where Clarence Harris was found dead with two other men Sunday is the same place where he found a footing and began to turn his life around.
After spending years battling legal issues, substance abuse problems and homelessness, the 52-year-old Milwaukee native found a home in the 6400 block of North 54th Street, where he was taken in by a younger man who also connected Harris with a job at a car wash.
“He was overcoming,” Harris’ brother, Alvin Braden Jr., said Monday. “He slowed down on his drinking, drugs, everything. It seemed like he was doing better.”
Harris had been living in the apartment with Anthony Thompson, 26, for an unclear amount of time when they and Thompson’s brother, Tyaries McKinney, 39, were found dead in the home with gunshot wounds Sunday, according to Braden and a report from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
More:Milwaukee police investigating triple homicide of three Milwaukee men at apartment building on North 54th Street
Police have not divulged any details about the circumstances of the shooting, but according to the medical examiner’s office, the three men were discovered shortly before noon, about 11 hours after Thompson and McKinney spoke to their mother over the phone.
Unknown shooters are sought. Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or use the P3 Tips app.
The tragic shooting is the latest incident in an unusually violent winter in Milwaukee. Through Sunday, Milwaukee police reported 48 homicides this year, double the number as of the same date in 2021.
The family of Thompson and McKinney declined to comment Monday, but Braden remembered Harris, a father of one, as a “very joyful person” with a big, unforgettable smile.
“You’d be around him and you’d have to laugh,” Braden said. “He will cheer you up.”
Braden said they grew up with three other siblings on Milwaukee’s east side in the 1960s — one of few Black families in the area. As adults, both ran into legal trouble. Braden, who now lives in Eau Claire, knew he had to leave Milwaukee if he wanted to stay out of prison.
He found a good job and tried to take his brother with him, but the death of their mother in 2009 sent Harris into a spiral with alcohol.
“He wouldn’t get out of Milwaukee,” Braden said. “The drinking was just getting him in trouble. He made bad decisions with the drinking.”
Still, Braden tried to help from afar — sending his brother money and visiting to check in and buy him basic provisions as Harris often relied on other family members for a place to stay.
Over the last three to four years, Harris started getting things together, Braden said. His drinking slowed. He started concentrating on finding work. Braden could see things were getting better and he was continually hearing the same from others in Milwaukee.
“He was a really good person,” Braden said. | 2022-03-28T20:23:06Z | www.jsonline.com | Victim in triple homicide was overcoming homelessness, substance abuse | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/28/victim-milwaukee-triple-homicide-overcoming-homelessness-substance-abuse/7194803001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/03/28/victim-milwaukee-triple-homicide-overcoming-homelessness-substance-abuse/7194803001/ |
New UW-Milwaukee men's basketball coach Bart Lundy gets to work at generating buzz
Bart Lundy laid out his vision for the UW-Milwaukee men's basketball team during his formal introduction as head coach at the school's student union Monday.
The 50-year-old Lundy showed his attention to detail by promising to talk for "18-and-a-half" minutes when he stood behind the podium in front of media members, school officials, boosters, students and former Panthers players. The former NCAA Division II Queens University coach also displayed a folksy charm when describing his career path that led him to Milwaukee in a speech that almost hit his predetermined time frame despite Lundy going off the cuff at several points.
"I'm coming here to take this fantastic, fantastic university and this city and hopefully we can just turn it on its ear. Would you guys be OK with that?" Lundy said before pausing for applause.
Now comes the work of getting that done, and the new coach will have to call upon that discipline, humor and flexibility to build excitement at a program that has fallen off the local landscape recently, including a disappointing 10-22 mark this season that led to the firing of Pat Baldwin.
But Lundy was drawn to the job by its potential.
"I think you guys have seen it with (former UWM coach) Bruce Pearl," Lundy said. "Not saying I'm Bruce Pearl by any means. But they've been to the Sweet 16 and they know what it tastes like and know what it looks like.
"I think you can get guys that can be pros here. You got to get good players. I don't think there's a ceiling that's been touched in a while. You want to make the NCAA Tournament. It's going to take some steps. We're going to do it right and see where it lands. But I think we'll make progress."
Lundy lived in the Milwaukee area when he was on Buzz Williams' staff at Marquette from 2009-12, but now he must pound the pavement to generate, well, buzz around UWM.
"Embarrass yourself daily," Lundy joked about that process. "I think that's part of it. I've grown in that area. You got to be able to put yourself out there and be around the students, be around the alumni. Be in the city, be with you guys (media). You guys got to like me a little bit and want to cover me and not think I'm a jerk. Unless we win a lot, then ... just kidding.
"But everything does matter. I think if you do put a good product out there and be kind to people, the kids got to be likable kids, I think that's when you get people out."
Lundy also wants to ingratiate himself among the local basketball community.
"That's one of the things over the next month that I really got to hone in on," he said. "I've been gone from this area for a while so I'm not going to assume that I know anything. That there are doors that are going to open just because I knew somebody back then.
"I got a kid from Wisconsin on my team at Queens (Oshkosh native Josh Dilling) so I kept some of those connections and know some of the folks and the players. But I've got to ask them, hey, can I come recruit your players? Can you let me in? Can you help me? I need some help. And I think they will."
Putting together a roster in college basketball these days is a mixture of recruiting, retaining current players and addition via the transfer portal.
"We're going to be in the portal recruiting, we're going to be in the high school realm recruiting," Lundy said. "We call them pools. So there's pools of players. Prep schools. Junior colleges. International. There's a lot of pools you can pull from.
"I think we've got to be involved with the best players in all those pools. I think I'd really like to build it with high school kids. The portal's going to allow you to get some immediate impact. So we'll be in there and analyze everything."
Lundy has talked to all the players on last season's UWM team, including Pat Baldwin Jr., the son of the former coach and projected NBA player who had an injury-riddled freshman season.
"I think probably he'll end up making the decision that he'll want to be a pro," Lundy said. "But he could change his mind. The door's open to him if he wants to come back. I'd love to coach him. I've heard nothing but amazing things about him as a kid.
"That's kind of where it is. They're trying to figure it out, too. I'm sympathetic to his situation, which is not easy."
Lundy also needs to assemble a staff and he has targeted a couple candidates.
"I would like to have somebody here I know," Lundy said. "Then after that we got to consider guys with recruiting ties. Guys that are hungry and up-and-comers. But the biggest thing I want on the staff is I want basketball coaches. I don't need guys that are just player-chasers."
It's going to take a lot to get the downtown UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena rocking again. Clay Tucker, one of UWM's all-time best players who scored 1,788 points from 1999-2003, watched the proceedings and lingered afterward. He liked what he saw and heard.
"Most definitely impressed," said Tucker, who is a high school coach in Lima, Ohio. "He has the energy. He's great with words.
"I've watched his teams play at Queens. I've watched online. They get up and down. I think it's similar to how BP had it, Coach Pearl had it around here. The energy and the buzz and the style of play along with him developing players, will be great for the university." | 2022-03-28T20:23:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Bart Lundy introduced as UW-Milwaukee men's basketball coach | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uwm/2022/03/28/bart-lundy-introduced-uw-milwaukee-mens-basketball-coach/7190227001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uwm/2022/03/28/bart-lundy-introduced-uw-milwaukee-mens-basketball-coach/7190227001/ |
The state Democratic Party poured $100,000 into the campaign of Milwaukee Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson in the closing push of the mayoral race, campaign finance reports released Monday show.
Johnson is competing with former Ald. Bob Donovan in the April 5 race. They are vying for the last two years of the term left open by former Mayor Tom Barrett's resignation in December to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
Under state law, political parties can give unlimited amounts to candidates.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler in a statement called Johnson "the leader Milwaukee needs right now" and said the party was taking nothing for granted, even in the Democratic stronghold.
"Right now, the stakes couldn’t be higher — for Wisconsinites, and the fate of democracy in our state," he said. "It’s critical to invest in inspiring candidates like Cavalier Johnson, a leader who meets the moment, to inspire and mobilize a new generation of voters."
Johnson's campaign manager Sachin Chheda noted that Republicans had thrown their support behind Donovan while the Democrats were supporting Johnson, a Democrat.
The Democrats' level of spending in the race reflected the party's fundraising success, he said, and the funds helped Johnson's campaign boost its field program and advertising.
Donovan, who has trailed in fundraising, slammed Johnson for the contribution.
"My opponent must be running scared to need that kind of money on top of everything he has already," Donovan said in a text message. "He's looking to buy this election and I'm counting on the people."
In all, Johnson reported raising $375,721 in the period between Feb. 1 and March 21, ending with $169,565 cash on hand.
Donovan raised $86,936 — with $1,250 coming from the Republican Party of Milwaukee County and $2,500 from Rebecca PAC of former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, one of three Republicans running for governor this fall.
Donovan finished the period with $2,775 cash on hand.
He also received $500 and the endorsement of Republican U.S. Marine veteran and gubernatorial candidate Kevin Nicholson.
Among the top donors on Johnson's most recent report were philanthropists Ted and Mary Kellner ($6,000 each), former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl ($4,500), Summerfest CEO Don Smiley ($1,000), longtime giver to liberal causes Lynde Uihlein ($2,000) and Jim Villa ($1,334), a longtime ally of former GOP Gov. Scott Walker.
Ted Kellner is a long-time donor to GOP causes but has also given to Democrats. In 2018, the Kellner hosted a luncheon fundraiser for then-President Donald Trump.
Lauren Lasry, the wife of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alex Lasry, also contributed $5,000 (Johnson backed Alex Lasry when he got into the Senate race.)
Chheda said the contributors listed in the report demonstrated Johnson's support across the political spectrum. | 2022-03-29T12:15:49Z | www.jsonline.com | WI Democratic Party gives $100K to Cavalier Johnson's mayoral campaign | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/29/wi-democratic-party-gives-100-k-cavalier-johnsons-mayoral-campaign/7196898001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/03/29/wi-democratic-party-gives-100-k-cavalier-johnsons-mayoral-campaign/7196898001/ |
Lumber Inn owner celebrates 20th anniversary in Delafield
CITY OF DELAFIELD - A community staple celebrated 20 years on March 28.
The Lumber Inn has been a breakfast-food destinations for decades, even before current owner Raul Perez took over operations in 2002. After two decades of creating and maintaining an atmosphere that attracts regulars, newcomers and birthday breakfast celebrators, Perez marked the occasion by offering a free mimosa with every purchase.
As always, the business saw a steady flow of customers that day. Perez and his family — who also works at the restaurant — greeted and seated everyone as normal.
Perez couldn't help but look back on the last two decades. He talked about the customers who have come through the doors, the ever-changing food menu and all the people who made this dream of his a reality.
"To be honest, when I bought it, I was hoping to do good," Perez said, "but I wasn’t expecting this good."
Over the years
Technically, the Lumber Inn has been around for nearly 40 years, but what was a little breakfast place 20 years ago has become much bigger, both figuratively and literally, since it changed ownership in 2002. Dave and Shar Huebner opened the restaurant in 1983.
Perez bought the place after years in the food industry, working as a dishwasher for no money and working his way up in various kitchens in Illinois and Wisconsin. This came after immigrating to the United States from Mexico when he was 17.
His dream was always to own his own place, and when the Lumber Inn went up for sale, he went for it.
Though he spent the first few years behind the scenes as the only person in the kitchen, he became a face that both regulars and newcomers have come to love.
"I was always in the kitchen; I had never been out with the customers," Perez said. "It was a new experience for me. I was nervous at the time to come here to Delafield. There are hardly any Mexican people here, especially 20 years ago. I didn't know if I would be accepted in the community or not, but these people are wonderful. They are nice and accepted me and everything has been a blessing."
While Perez retained the restaurant's breakfast style, he modified the menu to reflect his Mexican heritage and flavor. As the years have gone by, the menu has changed many times to reflect the changing eating habits of his patrons. He buys fresh ingredients, and he goes table-to-table to speak with customers.
He's done two expansions (in 2011 and 2018), growing to serve even more people.
"When I took over, people who were at least 40 years old, that was my main clientele," Perez said. "Now, you see teenagers and people of all ages. Kids ask where they want to go to breakfast for their birthday, and the family will tell us they wanted to go here. We've even seen those kids who did that 20 years ago be grown up now, and they come back. It's amazing to work in a business that has that kind of loyal customer. They're like family."
Perez isn't sure yet what is next for the Lumber Inn. His first priority is continuing its traditional service and delicacies, but he also is training his daughter, Luzbeyda and son, Raul Jr., to take over one day.
Of course, son is Raul Perez Jr. and daughter is
They both currently work in the restaurant.
"If I'm going to leave this for them, I want to make sure they serve and take care of the customers the way I do," Perez said. "You have to know you're there because of them. With them, it's no business."
For Perez, he plans to work as long as he can.
"It's different these days than when I start," Perez said. "People want to go out to eat and now they say, 'Let's go to Raul's,' or 'Let's go see Raul.' It's not just the Lumber Inn. It's about us, this family." | 2022-03-29T18:38:35Z | www.jsonline.com | Lumber Inn owner celebrates 20th anniversary in Delafield | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/29/lumber-inn-owner-celebrates-20th-anniversary-delafield/7198442001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/03/29/lumber-inn-owner-celebrates-20th-anniversary-delafield/7198442001/ |
Jackson Grill, the south side steakhouse that's been in operation for 20 years, has closed for good, its owner said on Facebook.
A Facebook post March 3 had said the restaurant at 3736 W. Mitchell St. would be closed for repairs until March 31.
"Regretfully, we will not be opening our doors from now on, due to high prices for meat, produce and energy bills, plus a lack of being able to find staff," co-founder Heidi Schmidt posted, going on to thank customers.
She opened the restaurant with her husband, the late Jimmy Jackson. He died Feb. 11, 2021, at age 66.
Jackson grew up in one of Milwaukee's best-known restaurants in the mid-20th century — his father owned the steakhouse Ray Jackson's on Blue Mound Road, near what was then County Stadium, from the 1950s through 1984.
Professional athletes were frequent customers, and athletes' autographs on chalkboards were part of the decor there. Displaying autographs was a tradition Jackson continued at his own restaurant.
Jackson Grill had an old-school, classic neighborhood-restaurant atmosphere — bar in the front, dining room in the back — which led some to think of it as a supper club. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackson Grill had been open only three nights a week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
"They were primarily a place to go for steaks," said Ron Faiola, the author most recently of "The Wisconsin Supper Clubs Story," which included photos and passages on both Ray Jackson's and Jackson Grill, based on an interview with Jimmy Jackson.
"It was only 30 seats — it was such an intimate place. People loved it for that — relaxed atmosphere, great cocktails," Faiola said.
"I'm glad she pulled the plug instead of trying to do something different," he said of Schmidt. "She went out on top."
Faiola designed the restaurant's website for the couple and became friends with them.
"I would hang out with Jimmy, he would just close and lock the door at night, and we would chat for a couple hours," Faiola said.
Jackson Grill was also a spot to bump into Milwaukee restaurateurs and elected officials.
"It was a place that people could go and kind of relax. They'd talk a little shop, maybe," Faiola said.
Besides the steaks and ribs the restaurant was known for, it served a seafood catch of the day and Cajun barbecue shrimp, a dish Jackson learned while working in New Orleans.
According to Journal Sentinel files, before Jackson and Schmidt opened Jackson Grill, he operated a casual restaurant in West Allis called Monkey Puzzle in the early 1990s. The 1930 building that housed Jackson Grill previously was Karlovich's Korner, which served menu items such as meatloaf and roast turkey. | 2022-03-29T18:38:47Z | www.jsonline.com | Jackson Grill steakhouse closes permanently on Milwaukee's south side | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/29/jackson-grill-steakhouse-closes-permanently-milwaukees-south-side/7203230001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/29/jackson-grill-steakhouse-closes-permanently-milwaukees-south-side/7203230001/ |
Alliant Energy is building a battery storage unit in Portage that will be able to supply power in short stretches to 5,000 homes.
Battery storage units store energy from the sun as alternating current power for later use. The new 5-megawatt energy storage system in Portage will double Alliant Energy’s Midwest battery storage capacity.
Alliant, like other utilities, has been piloting advances in battery storage technology. The Portage unit will be Alliant’s fourth in the state and eighth in the Midwest.
“Battery storage will ensure we continue to deliver safe, clean and reliable energy to our customers as we grow our renewable energy portfolio,” said David de Leon, president of Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin energy company.
The new battery storage system will be adjacent to Alliant Energy’s substation in Portage. The battery system is able to store enough energy to fully charge more than 800,000 smart phones.
“As technologies improve, we are excited about the potential for battery storage solutions to deliver enhanced efficiency, reliability and affordability for our electric customers,” de Leon said. “These smart investments in innovative energy solutions are transforming our energy grid and create countless new opportunities for the customers and communities we serve.”
Gov. Tony Evers created the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy in 2019 and set the goal to eliminate the use of carbon-based fuel in Wisconsin by 2050.
A recent study by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute and the Fiscal and Economic Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, found that if the state meets that goal, it could grow Wisconsin’s economy by $21 billion and create more than 34,000 jobs.
Fossil fuel energy currently accounts for 72% of Wisconsin’s utility-scale net electricity generation, while zero-carbon and renewable sources account for 28% of utility-scale electricity generated in Wisconsin. That compares with 67% in Illinois, 61% in Iowa, and 53% in Minnesota. | 2022-03-29T18:38:59Z | www.jsonline.com | Alliant Energy battery storage unit in Portage can power 5,000 homes | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/29/alliant-energy-battery-storage-unit-portage-can-power-5-000-homes/7203331001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/29/alliant-energy-battery-storage-unit-portage-can-power-5-000-homes/7203331001/ |
Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes will be the opening day starter for the Brewers vs. the Cubs
PHOENIX -- The worst-kept secret in Milwaukee Brewers camp has finally been revealed.
Corbin Burnes will be the team's opening day starter April 7 at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.
Manager Craig Counsell, who made the news official Tuesday morning before the Brewers' Cactus League game against the Cleveland Guardians in Goodyear, was asked how he came to the decision.
"He won the Cy Young," he said wryly.
Indeed, the right-hander did, after going 11-5 with a major-league-leading 2.43 earned run average, WHIP of 0.94 and 234 strikeouts in 167 innings over 28 starts.
Burnes also set a major-league record by opening the season with 59 consecutive strikeouts without a walk, tied a major-league record by striking out 10 consecutive batters (in a start against the Cubs) and combined with Josh Hader on just the second no-hitter in franchise history.
More:Brewers ace Corbin Burnes aims to improve on Cy Young season in 2022
The start will be Burnes' first on opening day. Brandon Woodruff had made the previous two.
"It’s cool news, to be making my first opening day start," Burnes said. "But on a team like this, it could have been any of those five guys in the rotation to start the year. I think three of us will have an opening day start under our belt – obviously Woody’s had a couple, I think (Eric) Lauer had one with San Diego and now I’ll have one.
"So, just being in the rotation with a bunch of guys that have done it before and a bunch of good pitchers, it’s pretty special."
It's yet another reminder of just how far he's come since his nightmarish 2019, when Burnes bounced between the majors and minors several times and finished 1-5 with an 8.82 ERA and WHIP of 1.84.
Burnes remade himself mentally in that offseason with a sports psychologist and also totally revamped his pitching approach, turning away from relying on a four-seam fastball and slider to a devastating cutter he threw 52.3% of the time in 2021.
"There's great pitchers that have done this," Counsell said, speaking on Burnes revitalizing his career. "Roy Halladay comes to mind as someone who took a similar path.
"The nature of how competitors and great athletes keep going and keep finding a way to not be knocked down — I think as much as anything it's not on the physical side where Corbin made all these improvements. It's the rest of the game where he's controlled everything so well and become so good at that's allowed him to have the success."
Burnes is the 33rd pitcher to start an opening day for the Brewers.
In the past, pitchers who have made multiple opening day starts have mentioned how important it is to be able to focus on the task at hand and not become distracted by the pomp and circumstance that comes with that appearance.
That shouldn't be an issue for Burnes, whose focus on the mound has been well-established.
"At the end of the day it’s going to be one of 32 or 33; you can’t make it something bigger than it is," he said. "At the end of the day you’re still out there playing baseball, still trying to execute pitches."
Burnes made his second Cactus League start Monday and picked up his first victory after going five innings and striking out eight against the San Francisco Giants.
He'll make one more spring start, on Saturday night against the Seattle Mariners in Peoria. | 2022-03-29T18:39:05Z | www.jsonline.com | Corbin Burnes to start opening day for Brewers vs. Cubs April 7 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/29/corbin-burnes-start-opening-day-milwaukee-brewers-vs-chicago-cubs-april-7-2022-wrigley-field/7201901001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/29/corbin-burnes-start-opening-day-milwaukee-brewers-vs-chicago-cubs-april-7-2022-wrigley-field/7201901001/ |
AsianRican Foods is opening a restaurant on Milwaukee's south side after previously operating as a pop-up in Snifters
This is AsianRican Foods' last week in Walker's Point, as the restaurant readies its permanent location on Lincoln Avenue.
The pop-up restaurant will serve its Asian and Puerto Rican dishes through Thursday, March 31, at Snifters, 606 S. 5th St., where it's operated since December.
Its remaining hours this week are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
After that, owner Julie Valcarcel said, she'll be working with her family to get the new location ready for opening, at 3300 W. Lincoln Ave.
That's the former site of Junior's Cocktail Lounge; it closed in 2021 when its liquor license was not renewed by the Milwaukee Common Council.
AsianRican had been a pop-up operating at O Yeah Chicken and More in Greenfield when it found a site where it wanted to open permanently, but another offer was accepted. AsianRican then moved to Snifters instead. A couple of quirky twists and turns later, the Lincoln Avenue site became available — and it was the spot Valcarcel had her eye on all along.
"That’s the same location. The vision was to be at that location," she said.
She began renovating the space March 1, "working on the place after work, day and night, to get it open," she said.
Not much work is left to do, things like flooring and lighting; optimistically, the restaurant could open by mid-April, she said.
"It’s going to be a neighborhood restaurant," Valcarcel said.
Plans call for a family-friendly section.
Valcarcel has applied for a tavern license so the restaurant can serve drinks. And, she said, "We’ve got to have karaoke at an AsianRican place."
The restaurant will have about 12 tables, seating four to six people each, and the bar will have additional seating.
Valcarcel plans to add some traditional Asian dishes, such as papaya salad and pho, to the menu, as well as Puerto Rican roast pork.
AsianRican serves dishes such as pepper steak, Puerto Rican rice, pinchos, fried rice, egg rolls and alcapurrias. It's a nod both to the popularity of Chinese food in Puerto Rico and the backgrounds of Valcarcel and her husband (she is Lao and he is Puerto Rican).
Besides returning to catering with the new menu, AsianRican will begin selling its sauces bottled to take home, such as teriyaki and the sofrito that flavors its Puerto Rican dishes. It's been something customers have been asking for, Valcarcel said.
Asian Rican will post updates on its Facebook page. | 2022-03-30T20:48:46Z | www.jsonline.com | AsianRican Foods will open restaurant on Milwaukee's south side | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/03/30/asianrican-foods-open-restaurant-milwaukees-south-side-lincoln-avenue/7218434001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/03/30/asianrican-foods-open-restaurant-milwaukees-south-side-lincoln-avenue/7218434001/ |
Todd Rosiak Curt Hogg
PHOENIX – The day after signing José Ureña to a minor-league contract, the Milwaukee Brewers began the process of potentially fast-tracking the right-hander to be included on the opening day roster.
In a procedural move Wednesday, the Brewers selected the 30-year-old to the 40-man roster. If he's deemed ready to go from a health standpoint, Ureña will pitch a bullpen session already on Thursday.
That would leave about three or four Cactus League games for Ureña to possibly participate in before the Brewers head north for their April 7 opener against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
"This is late, and so we've got to evaluate the health, and then we'll go from there," president of baseball operations David Stearns said. "We expect him to impact our major-league team.
"So, if he's healthy and ready to do that, then (he's on the team)."
Ureña will be entering his eighth season in the major leagues. He pitched 26 times for the Detroit Tigers last season, starting 18 games, and finished 4-8 with a 5.81 earned run average.
Neither his WHIP of 1.60 nor his 67 strikeouts in 100⅔ innings was impressive, but Stearns nevertheless sees a path for Ureña to help Milwaukee.
"This is a player that's had success in length roles, mostly as a starting pitcher," Stearns said. "We're excited to bring him in. We think he has the potential to help us predominantly out of the 'pen.
"We view him as a reliever first, likely in a length role to start, but the fact that he has that starting background, it helps, and it provides us an added degree of insurance and was one of the reasons we decided to bring him in."
More:Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes will be the opening day starter for the Brewers vs. the Cubs
A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Ureña pitched his first six seasons with the Miami Marlins, making him a two-time teammate now of Christian Yelich.
"I think in an ideal world he's part of our bullpen," manager Craig Counsell said. "There's some ceiling as to what he can become in the bullpen for us. We've just got to kind of evaluate him health-wise here the next couple days."
His best season came in 2017, when he went 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 34 appearances (28 starts). Control has an issue for him — he led the majors that year by plunking 14 batters — and his career walk rate is 3.2 per nine innings.
He was also Miami's opening day starter in both 2018 and '19.
When Ureña is going well he combines a heavy sinker with a slider to generate plenty of ground-ball outs; his rate of 53.1% last season was a career high. He also throws a four-seam fastball that averaged 94.2 mph in 2021 and a changeup.
"He'll keep the ball on the ground. He's proven very effective against right-handed hitters," Stearns said. "We'll try to help him and give him avenues for growth and improvement against left-handed hitters and we'll see where it goes.
"This is a really good athlete with a live arm. Battled some injuries throughout his career (shoulder in 2016, herniated disc in 2019, broken forearm in 2020). And so, we'll see where this heads."
Before signing, Ureña had been working out in the Dominican, facing live hitters in impromptu games every Friday.
"I'm just trying to be healthy and see the spot I can fit in," he said. "I will be ready. The way I was preparing myself, it won't take me long. We'll see how I feel."
Renfroe starting at first base
Hunter Renfroe has played just nine major-league innings at first base in his six-year career, but that isn’t keeping the Brewers from experimenting with him at the position in their constant quest to piece together their position player puzzle.
Renfroe is making his first start at first base this spring as the Brewers face San Diego in a road game Wednesday afternoon.
Of Renfroe’s 4,439⅔ innings in the field in the majors, all but nine have come in the outfield and just over three-quarters have been in right field. The bulk of Renfroe’s playing time in Milwaukee will still come in right, but his ability to fit at first base, as well, would open up some options for Counsell against left-handed pitching.
“Hunter has done a little bit of it, is open to practicing there and trying it out,” Counsell said. “So there’s scenarios where you can see where it would make sense. It’s just another option and in games depending on what else is going on it makes some sense.”
Renfroe has been working at first during camp, Counsell added.
The Brewers already have no shortage of potential players at first. Rowdy Tellez, a lefty, is expecting to get the lion’s share of work, while Keston Hiura and Mike Brosseau offer right-handed complements.
But Renfroe projects as one of their better bats, and the addition of the designated hitter to the National League gives Milwaukee greater flexibility with its lineups. If Renfroe’s defensive acumen at first is deemed to be reliable enough, it could open at-bats in right field for Tyrone Taylor, who currently slots in as the fifth outfielder but posted a .778 OPS and has been the team’s best hitter this spring.
Renfroe, meanwhile, has just two hits in 14 at-bats, but there is no concern surrounding how he – nor any other of the team’s hitters in a veteran-laden group – has looked at the plate.
“I feel like our position players are in a really good place,” Counsell said. “I was probably more worried about getting them plate appearances and now I’m just sitting here and I’m not concerned about any of our guys.” | 2022-03-30T20:49:10Z | www.jsonline.com | José Ureña officially joins Milwaukee Brewers, becomes bullpen option | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/30/pitcher-jose-urena-officially-joins-milwaukee-brewers-becomes-bullpen-option/7215758001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/30/pitcher-jose-urena-officially-joins-milwaukee-brewers-becomes-bullpen-option/7215758001/ |
'Saturday Night Live's' Michael Che is coming to the Milwaukee Improv for three nights of shows in April
Comedian Michael Che, best known for his role as co-anchor of "Weekend Update" on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," is coming to the Milwaukee Improv, the comedy spot in The Corners of Brookfield, for five shows April 22-24.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. April 1. Information on ticket prices wasn't immediately available. See improv.com for updates.
Che, one of "SNL's" head writers, is a veteran standup, with a pair of Netflix comedy specials on his résumé. Last year, he debuted his own sketch comedy show, "That Damn Michael Che," on HBO Max; the show's second season is scheduled to stream later this year. | 2022-03-31T23:03:36Z | www.jsonline.com | 'Saturday Night Live's' Michael Che coming to the Milwaukee Improv | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/31/saturday-night-lives-michael-che-coming-milwaukee-improv/7235810001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/31/saturday-night-lives-michael-che-coming-milwaukee-improv/7235810001/ |
Here’s what happened when Love is Blind's Shayne Jansen went on Bachelor alum — and fellow Wisconsin native — Nick Viall's podcast
There's always a Wisconsin tie. And sometimes, there are two.
Netflix "Love is Blind" Season 2 contestant Shayne Jansen, who grew up in De Pere, recently went on Waukesha native and "Bachelor" franchise veteran Nick Viall's popular podcast, "The Viall Files with Nick Viall."
"Everyone's been waiting for this," Viall said at the beginning of the interview. This was Jansen's "first official interview" since the show ended, the episode's description said.
Before we dive into the pod, here's a breakdown of how the reality TV show Jansen was on went down.
Thirty singles got to know each other one-on-one in "pods," which looked like small living rooms separated by walls. The catch? They couldn't see each other. They could eventually propose, sight unseen, which a handful of contestants did.
Once engaged, they got to meet face-to-face, go on a couples retreat in Mexico, see what each other's lives are like and meet each other's families.
Oh yeah, and plan their weddings. The altar is where they made their final decision on whether or not they were going to go through with marriage.
If you haven't seen the show, this is your warning: Spoilers ahead.
Jansen, a 32-year-old Chicago real estate broker, made a name for himself with his intense energy, spirited personality, distinctive voice and laugh, quirky mannerisms, and of course, the drama he got into.
Jansen and his partner on the show, Natalie Lee, ultimately did not get married following an unaired argument not long before their wedding day. At the altar, Jansen said "I do" and Lee said "I don't."
Now that you're caught up, here are five takeaways from Viall's "tell all" interview with Jansen:
1. The No. 1 thing Jansen wanted to get off his chest: He didn't do drugs on the show
“What is, more than anything, something you want to get off your chest?” Viall asked Jansen right off the bat.
His answer? That he didn't do drugs on the show — which many viewers had been taking to social media to question.
"I'm mic-ed up the whole time," Jansen said. "Everyone would've heard me do it."
Jansen explained to Viall that he has “severe, severe” ADHD. Being in a tiny room for hours, having deep conversations during filming wasn't comfortable for him and made him bounce off the walls, he said.
He's also big on espresso, which he said doesn't help his anxiety.
“I needed energy to stay up and obviously I probably did a little too much," Jansen said. "I just have horrible anxious energy."
He didn't sleep for two days straight prior to his wedding day, he said.
"I had no idea what (Lee) was going to say at the altar, no idea," Jansen said. "My mom was in town, my whole family was in town, I was so embarrassed. My anxiety was going crazy."
2. Jansen tried to back out of the wedding
The night before the wedding, Jansen said, he told producers, "I can't do this. I don't want to go."
"What did they say?" Viall asked.
"We have to see it through," Jansen replied.
"I didn't know what to do at the time," Jansen said. "At that point, I was so mentally exhausted by everything that was going on in my life. I just didn't want to have another problem on my hand. It's like, 'Let's just get through this, let's go.' "
3. A Stevens Point shoutout
For their bachelor party, the engaged guys on the show went to Wrigley Field to play baseball.
And how was Jansen's batting performance? "The most embarrassing." His words, not ours.
Viall asked him if he played baseball. Jansen said his "whole life," including at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He graduated from there in 2012.
"You looked really bad," Viall said.
"Oh, I know," Jansen replied. "I'll never live it down."
4. What he learned about himself on the show
Viall asked Jansen if he's making any adjustments after seeing himself on the show.
To listen and not have a reactive emotion right away, Jansen said.
"I gotta learn how to control my energy better," he said. "I do a very bad job of it. It's fun to be around, but it's not fun with your partner and you're arguing and all of that kind of stuff. I need to learn how to do better at that."
He told Viall he started seeing a therapist after the show. Viall plugged BetterHelp's online therapy and counseling resources, which included a discount for the podcast's listeners.
"We're big advocates on this show," Viall said. "If you care about your diet, if you care about exercise, you should also care about taking care of that mental health. It's all about maintenance. You don't need a crisis to validate or to justify getting therapy."
Jansen later said that being on the show amplified what was going on in his life. His dad passed away just months prior to filming.
"When you watch something on TV you learn so much about yourself, you really do, it's wild," he said. "And I'm trying to make those steps to be a better person and to hopefully do it with my next relationship I'm going to be in."
5. Are Jansen and Lee over?
"Are you done with Natalie?" Viall asked Jansen.
"I am now yeah, officially," Jansen replied. "It's over. And actually for the first time, I can confidently say that."
The podcast also delved into the pre-wedding fight between Jansen and Lee, how Jansen said he felt in their relationship, whether he ever hung out with his other pod love interest and more.
"Whether you like Shayne or not like Shayne after this, you are certainly your truest self," Viall said to Jansen.
To listen to the full podcast, visit viallfiles.com or Apple Podcasts. And to view the interview, head over to YouTube. | 2022-03-31T23:03:42Z | www.jsonline.com | Shayne Jansen of Love is Blind Season 2 dishes on Nick Viall's podcast | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2022/03/31/love-blinds-shayne-jansen-dishes-nick-vialls-podcast-bachelor/7229391001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2022/03/31/love-blinds-shayne-jansen-dishes-nick-vialls-podcast-bachelor/7229391001/ |
The Public Service Commission on Thursday approved a controversial $171 million gas power plant near Wausau from Milwaukee and Green Bay utilities.
The new facility, proposed by We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service Corp., will be built at the existing Weston coal power plant site in Marathon County. The coal plant will remain.
The PSC approved the facility in a 2-1 vote with Rebecca Cameron Valcq and Ellen Nowak voting in favor and Tyler Huebner voting against the project.
The new facility will use seven reciprocating internal combustion engines technology. RICE technology can run day or night having a lower environmental impact, according to information provided to the PSC by the utilities.
WEC Energy Group, Wisconsin's largest utility, plans to retire 1.8 gigawatts of coal and natural gas generation as part of its effort to become carbon neutral by 2050.
But the utilities say they still need to use fossil fuels during the transition.
More:Wisconsin's clean energy goal's could grow state's economy by $21 billion, but state lags Midwest counterparts
More:The Potawatomi built a $20 million renewable energy project near the tribe's Milwaukee casino. It's closing after 9 years due to COVID.
"When the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing there is a need for reliable, dispatchable natural gas to keep the lights on," the application states. "The RICE Project will play an especially important part in maintaining reliability during the transition to renewable energy resources like solar and wind."
Huebner said WEC's application had too many unanswered questions for him to believe it was in the best public interest, economically and environmentally.
Nowak said she would prefer for the utilities to continue to run on fossil fuels for longer than they are planning to.
"But since government subsidies are pushing things faster, we are where we are today," Nowak said. "It is our job to ensure a reliable and affordable grid for our ratepayers, regardless of what some press releases and testimony says."
The Citizens Utility Board, Clean Wisconsin and Sierra Club opposed the project.
CUB urged the PSC to vote against the plant, citing concerns over the utilities’ overly optimistic assumptions about future natural gas prices and the utilities’ failure to analyze the value of the projects in their “generation reshaping plan” in a variety of future economic scenarios.
“Simply labeling something an integrated resource plan doesn't make it a robust one. It doesn't make the grade if you haven't done your homework well," said Tom Content, executive director of CUB. “Based on that analysis, a project this size wasn’t cost-effective, and if anything the Commission should have approved a much smaller version of the project — less than half the size of what will now be built."
The Sierra Club said the utilities can't continue to go unchecked while building new fossil fuel infrastructure.
"We have seen the utilities double-down on fossil fuels by proposing new gas plants instead of clean energy," the club said in a written statement.
"The science is clear that we can’t allow this to happen if we are to stop a climate catastrophe. Given the cost of fossil fuels is at an all-time high, it’s all the more critical we move to sustainable clean energy." | 2022-03-31T23:03:48Z | www.jsonline.com | New Wausau area power plant criticized as unnecessary wins approval | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/31/new-wausau-area-power-plant-criticized-unnecessary-wins-approval/7228986001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/03/31/new-wausau-area-power-plant-criticized-unnecessary-wins-approval/7228986001/ |
Downtown Milwaukee's newest office building has landed a sizable tenant. Old National Bank is leasing a floor at the Huron Building.
Downtown Milwaukee's newest office building has landed a sizable tenant.
Old National Bank will lease 23,000 square feet at the Huron Building, 511 N. Broadway. That encompasses the eighth floor as well as street-level retail space facing Broadway.
“Old National Bank is a perfect addition to the building, and we welcome the company and its team,” said Josh Jeffers, president and chief executive officer of J. Jeffers & Co., which developed the building.
”The bank is growing and expanding its presence in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and we are proud they will call the Huron home," Jeffers said, in a statement.
Related:Two apartment developments at the same building, nearly 20 years apart, are each part of big changes around downtown's former Grand Avenue
Re:Downtown's Water, Van Buren streets to become more friendly for bikes and walkers — and less welcoming for reckless drivers
Evansville, Indiana-based Old National Bank in February completed its acquisition of Chicago-based First Midwest Bank, growing to more than 250 branches in Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Kentucky.
The bank’s Wisconsin leadership team, as well as staff from its Northern Oak Wealth Management subsidiary, will occupy 20,500 square feet of Huron office space.
The 2,500-square-foot retail space will house an Old National Bank branch. The bank's Milwaukee operations are now based at 790 N. Jefferson St.
“We are excited about this new space to inspire collaboration with our combined teams and better serve our clients. The added benefit of a first-floor retail branch makes the hub location complete,” said Kevin Anderson, Milwaukee market and business banking president of Old National Bank.
“As a hub for the Wisconsin banking team as well our Northern Oak advisors, the Huron is perfect. Its location provides visibility, flexibility and amenities that enable us to host clients, and it has a vibrant and collaborative space for partners to come together as one team," Anderson said, in a statement.
"Access and convenience with The Hop line and on-site parking were important factors in site selection as well," he said.
The space will be built out by contractor C.G. Schmidt and ready for occupancy in early 2023.
Old National Bank joins anchor tenant Husch Blackwell and Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar at the Huron, bringing the building to 65% leased. The 11-story Huron Building opened in 2020. | 2022-03-31T23:03:54Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee's Huron Building lands Old National Bank for offices, branch | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/03/31/milwaukees-huron-building-lands-old-national-bank-offices-branch/7231616001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/03/31/milwaukees-huron-building-lands-old-national-bank-offices-branch/7231616001/ |
MADISON – Wisconsin’s second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa State was the last college game for Johnny Davis.
The sophomore from La Crosse Central High School, who helped UW win a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and was named the league’s player of the year, made that official Thursday when he announced on ESPN he is entering the 2022 NBA draft.
"My time here at Wisconsin was great," Davis said Thursday on "NBA Today." "It was an unforgettable experience. I thank all my coaches and teammates that I had in my corner.
"And with that being said, I would like to announce I will be declaring for the 2022 NBA draft and hiring an agent and can't wait for what happens next."
Davis noted he discussed his options with his family and coaches.
"They thought it was the best decision for me," he said.
Davis, a finalist for both the Naismith Award and Wooden Award, is a projected lottery pick. The draft lottery is May 17 and the draft is set for June 23 in Brooklyn.
After averaging 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds as a freshman, Davis led UW in scoring (19.7) and rebounds (8.2) this season. He tied for second on the team in steals (1.2) and finished third in assists (2.1) and blocks (23).
More:Johnny and Jordan Davis are the team within the Wisconsin team, twins enjoying a rare opportunity together
Davis led the nation in scoring against top-25 opponents during the regular season (24.1).
He scored 37 points against No. 3 Purdue, 25 against No. 14 Michigan State, 30 vs. No. 12 Houston, 22 vs. No. 18 Illinois, 24 vs. No. 21 Ohio State, 17 vs. No. 17 Michigan State, 14 vs. No. 16 Ohio State and 16 vs. No. 8 Purdue.
UW went 5-3 in those games.
With 37 points at Purdue and 30 points at Indiana, Davis became just the second player to score at least 30 points in road victories at Mackey Arena and Assembly Hall in the same season. The first was Sam Vincent of Michigan State in 1985.
Davis scored a team-high 17 points in UW’s 54-49 loss to Iowa State but went 0 for 7 from three-point range and 4 for 16 overall.
UW coach Greg Gard released a lengthy statement supporting Davis' decision.
"We are so proud of Johnny and excited for his future in professional basketball," Gard wrote. "He is one of the best to ever play at Wisconsin and wearing that Wisconsin uniform meant a lot to him.
"We're grateful for everything he has done for this program and can't wait to follow his success in the NBA. He will be a tremendous representative for the entire state of Wisconsin at the next level.
"What he was able to accomplish during his career was phenomenal. Not just stats and the championships, but as coaches, we couldn't have asked for anything more as a player, a teammate and a member of our community.
"We always knew Johnny was tough and he showed that all season long, never more than down the stretch. We knew he was hurting but he laid it all on the line for his teammates. That's a toughness that will translate at any level.
"Congrats Johnny on everything you've accomplished and everything that you've got in front of you.
"You make us proud." | 2022-03-31T23:04:25Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin basketball guard Johnny Davis to enter 2022 NBA draft | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/31/wisconsin-badgers-basketball-guard-johnny-davis-enter-2022-nba-draft/7204132001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/03/31/wisconsin-badgers-basketball-guard-johnny-davis-enter-2022-nba-draft/7204132001/ |
PHOENIX – Weston Wilson is no stranger to the Cactus League.
Wilson has spent years appearing on the major-league side of spring training games but now in his seventh year in the Brewers organization is hoping to appear with Milwaukee during a regular season game for the first time.
“I’m at a point where I’m getting close to being able to help them out,” Wilson said. “Just trying to show that.”
Wilson, 27, got the start for the Brewers against the Padres on Wednesday and went 1 for 2 with a run-scoring triple and a walk. It was his 31st Cactus League game.
“Just trying to get some good (at-bats) under my belt and feel comfortable,” Wilson said. “I got a good pitch to hit that last AB and hit it.”
More:Brewers podcast: What's the roster going to look like as the Brewers break camp? Plus: Keston Hiura's big spring
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More:Brewers opening-day roster prediction: Even with two extra spots, there isn't much mystery for Milwaukee
Sure, one spring training game has a limit in the impact it can leave on a team. But doesn't it feel better to perform like that in a big-league game than on a back field?
“It does,” Wilson said, “but it’s just baseball. I try to get that in my mind. But I feel like I can help this team out one way or another, so it’s just trying to show that I can be a valuable asset.”
Wilson, a 17th-round draft selection in 2016, first appeared in a spring game on the big-league side during his first camp in 2017. The infielder has appeared in 488 minor-league games since then.
He made it to Class AAA for the first time in 2021 and posted a strong season, batting .267/.354/.548 in 246 plate appearances. Wilson showed off impressive power, hitting 16 homers at a pace of one every 13.6 at-bats.
“It was a good experience being in Triple-A last year for the first time,” Wilson said. “I learned a lot from a lot of the older guys, how to come off the bench, double-switches, that kind of deal. It was a valuable learning lesson for me to start the season and then kind of work into an everyday role.”
Wilson has been steady in both his performance, with a .776 career OPS, and ascension of minor-league levels while providing defensive versatility, but isn’t found on top prospect list or, more importantly, the Brewers' 40-man roster.
That's because players become minor-league free agents after their first six full seasons in the minors. Because Wilson is in his sixth full season without being added to the 40-man, any team would be able to sign him.
It may be now or never for Wilson to knock down the door and play his way into a call-up with the Brewers.
"He reminds me a little bit of Nate Orf with how he got to Triple-A fast,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Then, you feel like you see him all the time, right? (Wilson was) a college player, so he had lots of skills that let you kind of skip the lower minor leagues and go quickly. Now you’re just fighting for that opportunity.”
Wilson will head back to Class AAA Nashville in the coming days.
“He just gets a little bit better every year,” Counsell said. “And that’s what he’s got to keep doing. There’s got to be a stick-to-it-iveness to him. We talk about him every year, but he’s just gotta keep giving himself chances and perform well. That’s going to be his lot.”
Said Wilson: “I’m at a point where I’m getting close to being able to help them out. Now it’s about just trying to show that.” | 2022-03-31T23:04:43Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers' Weston Wilson hoping to break through at MLB level in 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/31/brewers-weston-wilson-hoping-break-through-mlb-level-2022/7233379001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/03/31/brewers-weston-wilson-hoping-break-through-mlb-level-2022/7233379001/ |
Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach George Karl reportedly will be part of new basketball hall of fame class
NEW YORK – Former Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl reportedly will be part of the newest class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the capstone of a career on NBA sidelines that saw him win the sixth-most games of any head coach in history.
The Athletic reported the news Thursday night citing sources it did not identify.
The entire class of 2022 will be announced Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. Bucks legend and current television analyst Marques Johnson is finalist for the honor, as are former head coaches Larry Costello and Del Harris.
Karl was a head coach for six teams from 1984-2016 and amassed a regular season record of 1,175-824. He had a playoff record of 85-105 and led the 1996 Seattle SuperSonics to the 1996 NBA Finals. He was also the 2012-13 coach of the year with the Denver Nuggets.
Taking over as Milwaukee’s head coach in 1999, Karl took the Bucks to the Eastern Conference finals in 2001 and went 205-173 in his five seasons on the bench. | 2022-04-01T02:36:50Z | www.jsonline.com | Ex-Bucks coach George Karl reportedly to join basketball hall of fame | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/31/ex-bucks-coach-george-karl-reportedly-join-basketball-hall-fame/7238311001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/31/ex-bucks-coach-george-karl-reportedly-join-basketball-hall-fame/7238311001/ |
“It’s cool,” he acknowledged a few games before he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise scoring mark Thursday night at the Barclays Center, which came on a step-back three-pointer over Brooklyn center Andre Drummond with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie the game with the Nets 110-110.
“I hope they stop the game so I can get the ball,” he told the Journal Sentinel through a smile. “Probably they won’t. It is what it is. I want it to be like, you know when Kobe passed MJ? The whole game stopped and he took the ball and he was like…”
Unfortunately, the game operations crew in Brooklyn did not mark that moment for him, and the ball remained in play. The Bucks went on to win, 120-119, in overtime.
Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list on the road in Minnesota on Dec. 14, 2014 with a pair of free throws. During the stoppage, then-Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor then handed Bryant the ball, who held it aloft for the crowd before returning it to the Lakers bench.
It took Antetokounmpo 652 games in nine seasons to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 14,211, set in 467 games over six seasons from 1969-1975. The three-point shot didn’t come into the NBA until 1979, so all of Abdul-Jabbar’s points came via two-point field goals (5,902) and free throws (2,407).
“Geez, that’s insane,” said Bucks center Brook Lopez, who came into the league in 2008 as a post-oriented center. He attempted only 7 three-pointers in his first six years in scoring 6,168 of his franchise record-setting point total with the Nets.
“That’s so nuts. There was no three-point line. I mean … it’s … wow. 14,000 in six? That’s insane. That’s…you can’t believe those numbers. That’s wild.”
Antetokounmpo eclipsed the mark in his ninth year with his 14th basket of the night. At the moment he became the franchise leader in points, Antetokounmpo had made 4,704 two-point field goals, 445 three-pointers and 3,471 free throws. | 2022-04-01T02:36:56Z | www.jsonline.com | Giannis Antetokounmpo breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Milwaukee Bucks scoring record | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/31/giannis-antetokounmpo-breaks-kareem-abdul-jabbars-milwaukee-bucks-scoring-record/7218610001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/03/31/giannis-antetokounmpo-breaks-kareem-abdul-jabbars-milwaukee-bucks-scoring-record/7218610001/ |
While set in the 1950s, the musical 'Raisin' speaks to today, says actor Camara Stampley
Camara Stampley would describe Beneatha Younger, the college student she portrays in the musical "Raisin," as "someone with a limited filter."
"She'll just say what she thinks," Stampley said. "And she deals with the consequences later. She isn't afraid to forge her own path, to the point where it's almost her downfall.
"She takes on the hope of her family, without always considering her family," Stampley said.
"Raisin" is the musical adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's classic drama, "A Raisin in the Sun," about a Black family's plan to buy a home in an all-white Chicago neighborhood in the early 1950s. Skylight Music Theatre's production, directed and choreographed by Kenneth L. Roberson, begins April 8.
Stampley is a college student herself, pursuing her bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theater at historically black Howard University in Washington. But she's already familiar to Milwaukee audiences, having performed in Milwaukee Chamber Theater's one-actor show "Pretty Fire" last year, and playing roles in First Stage's "The Wiz" (as Dorothy) and in Black Arts MKE's "Black Nativity" (as Mary).
She first encountered Hansberry's story watching her uncle, Chiké Johnson, play Walter Lee Younger in Milwaukee Repertory Theater's 2013 production of "A Raisin in the Sun." She remembers being deeply split about Walter Lee's character.
"I don't know whether to root for him or if he's a bad guy," she said. But she remembers "being so consumed with his arc."
Working on "Raisin" scenes at Howard, she fell in love with the character of Ruth, Walter's wife. "She kind of grounds the family in a way that's like the invisible backbone," Stampley said.
Now, as Beneatha, Walter's younger sister, Stampley portrays a character whose romance with an African exchange student, Asagai, has her thinking hard about her African roots.
That's not a stretch for Stampley.
"We were always very aware of our roots in Africa," she said, "celebrating Kwanzaa and talking about Pan-Africanism at a very young age, and knowing what the Pan-African flag meant."
She remembers her grandfather making them do an Africa puzzle, "so I had to know where all the countries were, and we could name them."
One reason she pursued her theater education at Howard was to study at a school that placed no limits on what roles a Black person could play. Her roles there have included Nina in Chekhov's "The Seagull," for example,
But she also appreciates the intense study of the history of Black musical theater, such as "Your Arms Too Short to Box With God."
While "Raisin" is set in the 1950s, Stampley notes that "the message is still the same today, that these things still happen, that our lovely city isn't exempt … which makes ('Raisin') urgent and makes it something that everyone should see."
Skylight Music Theatre performs "Raisin" April 8-24 at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. For tickets, visit skylightmusictheatre.org or call (414) 291-7800. Skylight recommends this show for people 10 years and older.
More:In Milwaukee Repertory Theater's world premiere of 'New Age,' 4 women defy easy generalization or stereotype
More:Skylight's 'Ernest Shackleton Loves Me' a buoyant musical romance on ice | 2022-04-01T12:43:58Z | www.jsonline.com | New musical production by Skylight Music Theatre begins April 8 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/04/01/new-musical-production-skylight-music-theatre-begins-april-8/7198587001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/04/01/new-musical-production-skylight-music-theatre-begins-april-8/7198587001/ |
Anonymous buyer seeks to prevent lakefront nature preserve in Ozaukee County, says it would be 'never-ending expense'
The anonymous buyer seeking to purchase an environmentally sensitive area of land along the Lake Michigan shoreline is doing so to keep the property on the tax rolls, instead of allowing it to become a "never-ending expense."
In a letter signed only "Interested Buyer," the person attempting to purchase the Ozaukee County property known as Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs for development likens the land to a "free puppy" sign.
"The puppy is only free the day you take it home," the letter says. "Once the land is acquired by (the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust) it comes off the tax tolls forever and becomes an expense forever."
The Cedar Gorge property is 131 acres of largely undisturbed waterfront property on the south end of Port Washington, including a steep gorge down to the lake dotted with old cedar trees, and pristine clay bluffs dropping down to a thin strip of shoreline. It is near the popular Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve.
The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust has been working for years to raise the $5 million needed to purchase the property for the restoration of native plants and preservation of a rare land feature.
After years of fundraising, the trust approached the Department of Natural Resources for a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship grant to complete the purchase, but despite a recommendation from the agency, the funding was blocked by an anonymous legislator on the Joint Finance Committee.
Since then, the trust has been looking for ways to persuade the legislators to release the funds before the contract with the current owner, Waukesha State Bank, expires in September. But legislators have remained silent about Cedar Gorge, pointing to a potential interested buyer and the fact that the funding has already been rejected.
More: Conservationists hoped to protect Cedar Gorge on Lake Michigan, but an anonymous legislator objected to block funding
The anonymous letter was given to Rep. Rob Brooks, R-Saukville, to share with the Ozaukee County Board, Port Washington city officials and the "Ozaukee County community." Brooks said his office dug into the issues surrounding the property after hearing from constituents, and was able to find the buyer eventually. He declined to identify the party.
Buyer touts 'very real appreciation for nature'
The buyer in the letter said they are a resident of the state and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They also highlight a "very real appreciation for nature, the environment, and the need to protect it over time."
They then go on to list their thoughts for the property, including developing it in conjunction with the city and county, a pledge to protect the bluffs and gorge as well as address water runoff, and a promise that the development wouldn't rely on investors or a bank for completion.
The letter ends with a contention that allowing the property to be developed instead of turned into a park would be a win-win for local governments and residents.
"If OWLT can raise the necessary funds from private sources to buy the land, so be it," the buyer said. "But a private/public partnership with the City of Port Washington and Ozaukee County can protect the bluffs and gorge, generate a large economic benefit for the local contractors and businesses while also creating a large and growing perpetual tax revenue stream."
Buyer's attorney helped Kanye West bid to run for president
Also sent to Brooks was an email from the attorney representing the anonymous buyer, Lane Ruhland, who is most recently known for representing former president Donald Trump's 2020 campaign in Wisconsin and for her involvement in attempting to get rapper Kanye West on the ballot in the state for the same election.
Ruhland said the interested buyer is remaining anonymous not to avoid scrutiny by the public, but "rather to ensure that a purchase as important as this is done correctly."
"There is nothing underhanded about a private citizen protecting their privacy," she said in the email to Brooks.
She also alleged that the county was planning to fund the purchase of the property using funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, and insinuated that could be outside the allowed uses for the money.
"At the very least the county must do their due diligence to justify the use of taxpayer dollars and ensure they are spent appropriately and within the confines of the law," she said.
More This Greenfield creek is in desperate need of restoration. The city has a nearly $3 million plan to do just that
Andrew Struck, the director of Planning & Parks for Ozaukee County, said there is a resolution at the County Board to use some of the Rescue Act funds for a series of capital projects, some that have been languishing for as long as 20 years. A few board members are planning to amend the resolution to allocate some of the funding for Cedar Gorge.
Those behind the conservation of Cedar Gorge pointed to the fact that the anonymous buyer has presented no concrete plans for conserving the land's unique features, nor for the proposed development.
"This last-ditch effort by secret developers is really just a distraction," said Tom Stolp, the executive director of the land trust. "There's no real substance or actual plans. Not even a sketch of a plan on the back of an envelope to detail what sort of conservation or development this individual sees for the property."
He said community members have indicated their unwavering support for preserving the property, with more than 500 households donating to the project, in addition to local governments. Stolp also pointed out that the land trust's work together with the county is a public-private partnership, which stands to benefit residents more directly than a development would.
"We do have a public and private and balanced plan," he said.
As far as the claims that the park would become a burden on the county and its taxpayers, Struck said that the county only stands to benefit from having an area like Cedar Gorge.
"We just see it has a huge asset to our community," he said. "We know that it will draw tourism dollars and other revenues."
Struck also pointed out that plans to preserve only the bluffs and the gorge while developing the rest of the property could end up only harming the ecology of the land.
"It's all tied together," he said.
The team fundraising for the nature preserve is planning to keep pushing for the last $1 million needed to purchase the property.
"This project is still going to happen," Stolp said. "The community has already raised 80% of the funds to forever conserve this property. I just don't see the prospect of development happening. We're simply too close and too far along in the process." | 2022-04-01T12:44:28Z | www.jsonline.com | Buyer seeks to block Cedar Gorge on Lake Michigan to preserve taxes | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/01/buyer-seeks-block-cedar-gorge-lake-michigan-preserve-taxes/7231060001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/01/buyer-seeks-block-cedar-gorge-lake-michigan-preserve-taxes/7231060001/ |
A group of Waukesha parents is criticizing a school board candidate who in a speech last year said activism around LGBTQ issues, Black Lives Matter and other issues is rooted in a form of Marxism.
The candidate, Marquell Moorer, has said he used to identify with those issues until he had a "Christian conversion." Moorer, who teaches first grade at Our Lady of the Assumption in Beloit, is among a group of candidates who have been backed by the Waukesha County Republican Party.
The trio is part of a growing effort by conservatives to win policy-making spots on school boards, which have a role in deciding everything from how schools respond to the pandemic and how race is taught in schools to how welcoming schools are for transgender students and others.
Waukesha schools have had to deal with some of those hot-button issues recently.
Last year, Waukesha Superintendent James Sebert and Deputy Superintendent Joe Koch sent a letter to staff that banned the use of signage that says Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, Thin Blue Line or "any other posters or materials to the such," from its classrooms.
That prompted a conversation in the community and a teacher tried to defy the order by hanging a pride flag in her classroom. Ultimately, the teacher was suspended, and the pride flag was removed.
Some Waukesha parents said they're concerned Moorer would attempt to equate Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights and other movements with Marxism.
“BLM, LGBTQ rights, and other equal rights movements were born out of inherent inequalities in society. All their proponents seek is equal treatment and to be seen and heard. It has nothing to do with Marxism,” said Laurel Peterson, a Waukesha school district parent.
While a graduate student at Liberty University, Moorer in a 2021 speech, which is available on the school's website and was sent to the Journal Sentinel by a concerned parent, said many modern-day civil rights movements are rooted in a version of Marxism that hates white Christian men.
“When you look at Marxism, it breaks down into different types of groups, right, so you got racial groups, right, so you got, you know, people of color versus white Americans, you have Black Lives Matter, you have the LGBTQ movement (which I was part of)," Moore said in his speech. "You have the Me Too Movement, you have all these different groups, persons with disabilities, right, you have all these different groups that are being told because they’re suffering in oppression due to another group of people, which is white Americans or the white Christian male.”
Moorer refused to say whether he stands by his remarks that those civil rights movements are rooted in Marxism, instead opting to focus on the religious portion of his speech.
"To the extent that my faith is central to all decisions I make in life, the values of my faith which center on kindness, compassion, and love for others will also guide me in my decisions on school district policy as a School Board member," Moorer said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Waukesha parent Dawn Miner said Moorer’s speech raised concerns with her.
"I feel it's a huge dog-whistle for the right-wing zealots," said Miner. "My main takeaway is that there is no way that any of the movements ... are Marxist or Communist."
"Simply put, these movements are meant to be caring for our neighbors," Miner told the Journal Sentinel.
Moorer is on the ballot Tuesday. In the primary he received the third most votes and advanced to the general election. On Tuesday, the top three vote-getters of the remaining six candidates will receive a seat on the school board. | 2022-04-01T12:44:34Z | www.jsonline.com | School board hopeful Moorer: Civil rights movements rooted in Marxism | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/01/school-board-hopeful-moorer-civil-rights-movements-rooted-marxism/7199696001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/01/school-board-hopeful-moorer-civil-rights-movements-rooted-marxism/7199696001/ |
Mequon will consider a rezoning request to develop an 83-lot subdivision near the nature preserve
The Mequon Common Council will consider conceptual plans for an 83-lot, single-family residential development at an 86-acre site between a subdivision and the Mequon Nature Preserve.
Joe Bukovic, vice president of development at Point Real Estate, presented plans for the project on behalf of Kaerek Homes at a March 21 planning commission meeting.
“Based on the location of the property, with a little denser subdivision to the west and the Mequon Nature Preserve to the east, we thought this was a good candidate for a cluster-type development,” Bukovic said at the meeting.
The commission voted to recommend the common council approve the project's rezoning request. If approved by the council, the developer could build one house per acre instead of one house per 5 acres.
Conceptual plans show lots would range from 0.50 acres to 0.71 acres; prices for home and lot packages would range from $575,000 to $900,000.
Two road extensions would connect Huntington Park to Swan Road through the neighborhood. The western half of the neighborhood would have a road profile that transitions from an urban road cross-section to a wider, rural road cross-section in an effort to mitigate traffic accidents.
An internal trail system would connect cul-de-sacs to the sidewalk, an active open space area and the Mequon Nature Preserve.
Bukovic said the site would include 35% open space, average lot size would be 23,000 square feet and average lot width would be 100 feet.
Residents speak up
Several residents shared their concerns with officials, commenting on the proposed lot size, possible increased crime and potential water and sewage issues.
Jane Chevako called the development extremely dense and congested.
“When the city developed the 5-acre minimum, it was very exciting for me because then I knew that when the day came that this was no longer going to be a farm field (and) it was going to be subdivisions, 5-acre minimums kept a very large amount of open space for me,” Chevako said at the meeting.
But James Jossie said he didn’t have a problem with the proposed lot sizes.
“It’s probably the best alternative that’s been presented to us over the years,” he said.
But Jossie, a 39-year resident of the Huntington Park subdivision, said he is concerned about potential safety issues due to increased traffic. He also cited several recent car thefts that have occurred in Mequon and told officials that he’s considered increasing security at his home.
Others referred local flooding, asking officials to make sure a new subdivision won’t intensify the issue.
Mayor John Wirth said he is aware of the water issue and encouraged residents to “trust that the process will work” regarding the city’s efforts to ensure the development will not increase flooding.
Empathizing with Jossie, Wirth said he, too, is “really concerned” about crime, but not in connection with the proposed development.
He said there’s been a spike in thefts that has probably been the worst “in at least the 25 years that I’ve been around that area.”
But Wirth said the whole city has been affected. “It wasn’t just areas of the city that were right along the border,” he said.
Wirth added that car thefts have subsided since January, and police have apprehended suspects involved in five car thefts.
“I’m not saying it’s not going to happen again,” Wirth said. “But if you look at our crime rate, while we had a spike, our crime rate hasn’t gone up. It’s just that they came together because there were literally some groups of people who came in cars, spread out throughout the city, stole a bunch of cars and broke into a whole bunch of cars, several of whom have been apprehended.”
Wirth said the council will likely consider the development April 12, and is expected to vote on the rezoning request May 10. | 2022-04-01T16:25:37Z | www.jsonline.com | Mequon Common Council to consider 83-lot subdivision development | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/mequon/2022/04/01/mequon-common-council-consider-83-lot-subdivision-development/7234096001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/mequon/2022/04/01/mequon-common-council-consider-83-lot-subdivision-development/7234096001/ |
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